Champagne and Stilettos
by LovestoRead2013
Summary: A humorous throwback to the very early days of the Kensi/Deeks partnership. Story COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**Champagne and Stilettos**

It was Detective Marty Deeks' second month serving as the LAPD liaison to the NCIS Office of Special Projects. It was also his second month being partnered with Kensi Blye, the lone female agent on the team led by the no-nonsense G. Callen.

The tall, athletic woman was something of an enigma, and therefore a challenge, to Deeks. She was in prime physical condition and could clearly play with the big boys. Deeks took every opportunity to analyze her when she wasn't looking. Not an ounce of fat on her and just the right amount of curves in the right places. Dark mismatched eyes that nothing escaped and long, glossy dark hair that Deeks' fingers itched to run through. Then there was that sassy mouth. Several times each day he wondered what it would be like to kiss those luscious lips and shock the hell out of Kensi.

 _Okay, so I'm ogling her. What's the big deal? Is my tongue hanging out? Probably. But she's a smokin' hot babe and she's right here under my nose. It's not like I can ignore her._

But what was her agenda? Was she one of those women who had to steamroll over every male she encountered? Was she a man-hater?

That thought gave Deeks pause for a moment and he had a sudden flashback of some TV nature program where the female insect literally bit the head off the male after mating.

The team was downstairs on the shooting range and Kensi was drilling the absolute hell out of the poor paper target. The fourth member of the team, ex-Navy SEAL Sam Hanna, pulled his earmuffs down and chuckled. "Bad second date, Kensi?"

"Sam, how many times do I have to remind you, she's not a second date type of girl," said Callen. A smile hovered on his lips.

Kensi took a deep breath, no doubt preparing to blast the two senior members of the team. However, before she could respond, Eric Beale, tech _wunderkind_ , stuck his head in the door. "Callen, Sam, Hetty would like a word."

Sam threw up his hands. "Hey, I promise you I turned in all my receipts."

Callen, too, was on the defensive. "And I did not get any blood on that Egyptian cotton shirt I wore to Arkady's club." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "However, there might have been some spatter on the pants."

Sam looked at Callen. "Come on, G. We might as well get this over with. You know Hetty has to have the last word."

"As well she should since she's our boss," added Kensi with a little smirk.

Callen and Sam departed wondering aloud what Hetty wanted.

Kensi pushed the button to pull her target back in. "Think I'll go clean my weapon now," she said. The target rolled up and stopped in front of her.

"Hold up, Kensi. What did this target ever do to you?"

She turned to him with a frown and narrowed eyes. "What?"

"Well, there's shooting and then there's . . ."

"There's what, Deeks? Out with it."

". . .there's _annihilation_. Is this what you do to bad second dates?"

Kensi regarded the target again, but ignored the dig about her dating life. All her shots had obliterated the heart. "You call it _annihilation_ and I call it _perp down and good guys still standing_. Let's see yours."

Deeks pushed the button for his target. It clattered to a stop and Kensi studied it. "You're all over the place and what's with these in the shoulders?"

Deeks ran a hand through his hair and Kensi tracked the movement without realizing it. "Yeah, not my best outing. Too much caffeine this morning. But I'll have you know those shoulder shots blew out this guy's rotator cuff. That'll be a bitch to recover from."

"You think?" asked Kensi.

"Yeah, one of my few friends on the force tore his in the gym and it was months before he was back to a hundred per cent."

"He could just switch to his other hand and you'd still be dead." Kensi sounded almost triumphant with her analysis.

"Okay, I'm glad the good guys, a.k.a. _us_ , are still upright. But what about the bad second dates? Do you have a lot of those?" he asked with raised eyebrows. "Don't try to dodge the question." He was more than eager to find out what Sam and Callen were referring to earlier.

"None of your business, surfer dude."

Never one to let a juicy subject drop, Deeks plowed ahead. "But we're partners and partners share."

"Yeah, stuff like ammo and intel. Not necessarily personal stuff."

"I didn't mean I wanted to share your toothbrush." _Although I wouldn't mind sharing your bed._ Deeks had been plagued with what some people might deem inappropriate thoughts about his new work partner since day one. On the other hand, he thought they were quite appropriate and Kensi had starred in several dreams already.

Kensi's face scrunched up in disgust. "Eeew!"

"All I'm saying is that I'm open to anything you might want to reveal. All in confidence, of course."

Kensi shrugged. "There's nothing to reveal."

"Not yet anyway," said Deeks.

"Did anyone ever tell you you're very nosy?"

"A ha! You call it _nosy_ and I call it _persistent_. Persistence is what makes me a good cop."

"If you're such a good cop, why aren't you still at LAPD?" She jabbed a finger in his chest. "Yes! Score one for Kensi!"

Deeks couldn't help but grin. Kensi wanted to ignore his hypnotic blue eyes and goofy charm, but everyday she felt her iron resolve slipping a little more. _What is wrong with me? I used to be stronger than this._

"So that's how it's going to be. I was brought in to be a conduit of information and cooperation between LAPD and NCIS." He paused dramatically for several seconds. "And to be your partner. Apparently, they can't let you off the reservation without a partner."

"Conduit? That's an interesting term for whatever it is you do here," said Kensi.

Deeks laughed and did not seem to take offense. "Princess, you haven't even begun to see what I can do here."

"What did you say?" Kensi was taken aback for a second by the royal title and said nothing. She snatched the paper target down and stuffed it in the trash, then stashed her weapon at the small of her back. "I'm off to the armory," she announced with a flip of her ponytail.

Deeks knew he'd one-upped her. "Score one for Deeks!"

"I heard that," called Kensi over her shoulder.

"I meant for you to. Hey, wait up."

As they rounded the corner, they found Hetty standing there. "Ah, Mr. Deeks. I have some more paperwork about your new position that needs signing."

"More? I thought I signed away my first-born and gave a kidney last week."

"Yes, I know. Uncle Sam seems to thrive on duplicate and triplicate forms even in the age of the internet," observed Hetty drily. "Come along. Time's a wasting."

He glanced at Kensi. "Okey, dokey. Catch you later, partner."

Kensi gave a little nod. "Hope your hand doesn't get a cramp."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"How are things going with Ms. Blye?" asked Hetty as they walked toward her desk.

"Great, really good." Deeks smiled broadly. "I've already learned a lot from her about how you guys roll."

"I'm glad to hear that." Hetty stopped and looked up at Deeks. "This new partnership is a big adjustment for her. She may require some . . . some extra time and consideration."

"Because of Dom," said Deeks quietly.

They walked on for a few seconds.

Hetty sighed. "His death was a blow not just to Kensi, but the whole team. Each person processes a tragedy of that magnitude in their own way."

"Copy that. But don't worry about Kensi. From what I've seen, she's a very strong woman and I'm here to support her, and the team, in any way I can."

"I know you are, Mr. Deeks, and I appreciate that."

Five minutes ago, Kensi wanted to lose Deeks and hide out in the armory. Now, for some yet-to-be-determined reason, she missed him. Her hands automatically broke down her weapon while her mind wandered into the realm of all things Deeks. This new partnership still had some kinks to iron out.

 _Okay, make that a lot of kinks. He's annoying, boisterous, nosy, flippant, constantly tries to invade my personal space . . . just to name a few things._

But one thing Deeks said bothered her. _One of my few friends on the force._ She'd heard that regular cops didn't like undercovers because they considered them cowboys, loose cannons, working under the radar and without much supervision. She could totally see Deeks in that role, wisecracking his way through assignments. But she was certain he got to the bottom of things because as he'd pointed out, he was _persistent._

 _It must be awfully lonely and stressful though. Out there with no one to have your back._ She felt an unaccustomed pang of sympathy for Deeks. _But now he has me. Wait. What? I didn't say that out loud, did I?_ She touched a finger to her lips. Deeks might appear at any moment and somehow take the words out of context. Then his head would fill up with unnecessary ideas. _He has enough ideas already._

Ever since Deeks barged into her life she'd felt so . . . unsettled. He was the polar opposite of Dom. _Dom._ She sucked in a deep breath and ruthlessly pushed down thoughts of her late partner. Comparing the two men would be pointless. It would be like comparing apples to oranges or Dom's video games to Deeks' surfboards. They were all different and unique.

Deeks finished up with Hetty and was on his way to the armory to get Kensi. There was a briefing in Ops in a few minutes. Sure, he could have called her, but it was more fun to go get her in person. As he walked, he considered his partner's name.

 _Kensi, Kens, Ken-sa . . . Kensalina! Yeah, I like the way it rolls off the tongue. I'll spring that one on her later._

Footsteps were heard coming down the hall.

"Kensi, are you there? We're needed in Ops."

She looked down in horror and realized she had only taken a couple half-hearted swipes with the cleaning rag. "Be right there," she yelled. She re-assembled her weapon in record time even for her and tossed the rag into the box in the corner. She'd allowed thoughts of Deeks to override everything else.

"What's up? We have a case?" she asked when Deeks came through the door.

"Uh no, we're having cake and ice cream."

Her eyes rolled up. "Hilarious."

Deeks grinned. "I am pretty funny, aren't I?"

"You're something all right. I just haven't determined what."

Deeks studied her for a moment. "Give it time. You'll get it. You'll get _us_."

"Come on," said Kensi. "Hetty doesn't like us to be late."

 _Tonight I'm going for a long, long, very long run to get him out of my head._

"Bring it up, Mr. Beale," said Hetty.

"You got it," said Eric. He tapped some keys on his tablet. A picture of an older couple in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza popped up on the big screen. "The Korinths."

"SECNAV's college roommate, Winifred Korinth, is dedicating a new wing at the Los Angeles Museum of Ancient History in memory of her late husband, renowned Egyptologist Bernard Korinth. Their daughter, Dr. Elise Korinth, has followed in her father's footsteps and is giving the keynote lecture on Thursday evening."

A photo of the stunning, blonde Dr. Korinth appeared next. Deeks gave a low whistle. "Smart and a babe!"

Kensi turned slightly toward him with an incredulous look. Sam noticed and said, "You better be describing somebody in this room," warned Sam ominously.

"What can I say? I'm a red-blooded male. But brunettes are my preference." His head turned fractionally toward Kensi and he winked. _I love messing with her._

"Gentlemen, could we stay on task here?" asked Hetty with raised eyebrows. "The opening will be an international gala."

"New guy's distracting us," grumbled Sam.

The way Sam was treating Deeks ticked off Kensi. "His name is not 'new guy,' it's Deeks," said Kensi.

Sam glanced at Deeks. "No offense."

Deeks shrugged. "None taken." He was quite surprised, and pleased, at the way Kensi defended him. _My partner doesn't take crap from anyone!_

Hetty continued. "This is a high-profile event. SECNAV and Director Vance will be in attendance as well as numerous academics and philanthropists from around the world. We will be coordinating with LAPD to provide security. Mr. Callen and Mr. Hanna, you will touch base with Major Ramsey at LAPD while Ms. Blye and Mr. Deeks consult with museum security.

"We're on it," said Callen.

When Sam and Callen returned from LAPD, they headed to the gym and began grunting and sweating through their workouts. A short time later, Kensi and Deeks were back from the museum and sat down rather reluctantly to finish some paperwork.

Sitting across from Kensi, Deeks kept up a running commentary about anything and everything, but mainly about the gorgeous Dr. Korinth, while she rummaged through her purse and then the desk drawers.

Deeks paused. "What are you doing over there, Kensi? Are you on a scavenger hunt?"

"Looking for something," she huffed.

"Obviously," said Deeks. "Can I help?"

Kensi was bent over, her head practically in the bottom drawer. Finally, she popped up with a half-eaten candy bar in her hand. "Nope. Found it." She peeled the remainder of the wrapper down, devoured it in two seconds and heaved a big sigh of relief.

"Ahhh."

"Really? A moldy remnant of chocolate?"

"It's not moldy. And it's better than nothing."

"You sure about that?" Deeks had never seen anyone enjoy chocolate as much as Kensi.

The phone rang and Kensi began rifling through folders and papers for a file that somebody needed in Ops. Deeks took the opportunity to slip out of the Mission for an errand.

"Here it is," she said and ran it up the stairs to Ops. When she returned, she noticed Deeks wasn't at his desk. She looked around. "Deeks?" Various agents and support personnel were coming and going, but no Deeks.

 _Probably went to the gym. But why didn't he wait for me?_ she thought in irritation.

She stacked some folders on one corner of her desk, shoved a pile of papers to the other side and declared it organized. To punish neatnik Deeks for leaving her, she stepped over to his desk and tipped over the coffee mug that held his pens and pencils.

With a smirk she stomped down to the gym. But Deeks wasn't there.

Callen and Sam were lifting weights and arguing about the best steakhouses in Los Angeles. "Lose your partner, Kens?" asked Callen.

She looked around to be sure Deeks wasn't hiding somewhere just to annoy her. "So it would seem." With that, she turned and left.

"Something's brewing there," noted Sam.

Callen picked up a towel and wiped his face. "What are you thinking?"

"The new guy's distracting her." Sam wasn't yet on board with Deeks joining their close-knit team and harbored some doubts about him.

"You mean Deeks." Callen was thoughtful for a moment. "Distracting . . . or attracting?"

"It spells trouble either way."

"Guess we'll have to keep an eye on the situation," said Callen. In an effort to diffuse Sam's bad mood he said, "Want to check out that new steakhouse on Alameda?"

"Why not. Michelle and the kids went to visit her sister."

"Last one to the car is a rotten egg," said Callen.

Sam snorted. "You're on, G."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Deeks was still missing when Kensi returned from the gym. _Whatever._ She grabbed her bag and left the Mission. She had some errands to run and then she was going for that long run.

Not five minutes later, Deeks returned with a plastic bag and found the place deserted. Then he saw the overturned mug and scattered pens and pencils. _Kensi did this. I know she did. She thinks I left her._

He straightened up and then opened the bottom drawer of his desk and dropped the bag in. It contained dozens of candy bars which he would dole out to Kensi as needed.

 _Got to keep my Kensalina fueled up!_

Deeks was parked outside Kensi's apartment waiting for her to return from her run. To pass the time, he nibbled a couple French fries and cleaned out his glove compartment.

Suddenly, an LAPD cruiser rolled up and Kensi exited the back seat. The two uniforms also got out and stood by the vehicle talking and laughing. They appeared to be in their early twenties and barely out of the academy. Kensi was clad in a cute little tank top and shorts and there was a large bandage on her right knee. Then she turned slightly and Deeks saw gauze wound around her upper left arm. _What the hell?_

One of the officers touched Kensi's arm and Deeks felt his blood pressure rise. _What are these clowns doing?_

He got out of the car and slammed the door. Then he strode toward Kensi and whipped out his LAPD ID.

"Detective Deeks, LAPD . . . and Kensi's partner."

The guys fell back from Kensi and shared a startled look. "Evening, Detective," the taller guy stammered.

"Kensi, what happened? Are you okay?" asked Deeks.

"I'm fine . . . mostly." She rubbed her arm.

The other uniform spoke up. "Wait, Kensi's NCIS and you're LAPD, but your partners?"

"I'm a liaison to NCIS." He had to shut these guys down. "What's with these bandages, Kensi?"

"I stopped at a convenience store to get some water and while I was at the register, two teenagers came in and tried to rob it." She waved a hand toward the cops. "Officers Peterson and Gonzalez here happened to come in at the same time."

"I just had to have a slushy," said Gonzalez.

 _Right_ , thought Deeks. _You ought to be out running laps._

Kensi continued. "The three of us gave chase and took them down. During that takedown, one of the little twits pushed me down on the dirty sidewalk. That explains my arm and knee. But these nice officers cleaned it up for me."

"I'll bet they did," said Deeks with no enthusiasm. _I'm a nice officer. I would have been more than happy to clean you up._

"You should have seen Kensi in action," said Peterson. "She was fearless, like Wonder Woman."

 _She's my Wonder Woman, dude._

"Trust me, I've seen Kensi in action."

Kensi turned to the uniforms. "Guys, thanks for everything."

"No, thank _you_ ," said Gonzalez. "If you ever want to join LAPD, we'll put in a good word for you with our Lt. Bates."

Deeks chuckled. "Yeah, that's not happening. She's happy at NCIS."

She shot him a dirty look. "Deeks! I can speak for myself." She stared at him for a long moment.

"Sorry."

"But he's right. I'm good where I am."

Deeks stepped closer and put a hand at the small of her back. "Come on, honey. You should rest."

Peterson pulled a card from his pocket. "If you change your mind."

Finally, the officers got in their cruiser and left. Peterson checked his rearview mirror and saw Kensi and Deeks apparently engaged in an argument on the sidewalk. He snorted. "Partners. Yeah, right."

"Too bad," said Gonzalez. "I was going to ask her to the department cookout."

"Not if I asked her first," replied Peterson.

Kensi shook off Deeks' hand. "What's the matter with you tonight? And what's with this possessive act, _honey_?"

"I was protecting you from those sharks. They were doing a damn fine job of hitting on you, not to mention trying to steal you away from me. Then I'd be a third wheel with Sam and Callen. Don't know if I could deal with that."

"They're cops. Like you. Just doing their job. I would have expected you to have more empathy for your fellow officers."

"Puh-leeze. They needed a roll of paper towels to mop up their drool."

Kensi propped her hands on her hips. "You're being ridiculous."

"Hello, Kensi." An elderly couple unloading groceries nearby waved.

"Hello, Mr. Adams, Mrs. Adams."

She looked back to Deeks. "Let's take this inside. Wait a minute, what are you doing here anyway?"

"I brought dinner. I knew you'd be starving after your run and I'm certainly famished after my run, which by the way, we could have taken together if you had still been there when I returned from my errand. I didn't just abandon you."

Kensi regarded him with skepticism. "If you say so. But I don't see any food in your hands." She sincerely hoped he wasn't kidding because she was ready to eat a horse.

"Just you wait." He went and opened the passenger side of his car and pulled out some fast food bags.

She nodded in approval. "Okay then." She unlocked her door and Deeks followed her in. He took in the general disarray of her apartment.

"Interesting decorating scheme," he said. "I'd call it _Chaos by Kensi_. And I'd spell it with a K."

"Look, if you came here to diss my place you can leave right now."

"No, I didn't come here to diss your place. I thought we could eat and chillax and go over the museum security plan again."

They both knew that's not why he was there and Kensi decided to call him on it. "Really? We've been over it a dozen times already. But if you have some new insight, I'm all ears."

"Let's eat first, then I'll share."

"Fine. I usually eat on the couch."

"Works for me."

They were forced to sit close together because one end of the couch had a stack of fashion magazines while a stack of folded towels occupied the other end. Not that Deeks minded in the least. "You know, I could put these towels in your linen closet, if you like."

"I'll do it later."

" _Later_ never comes. Like saying you'll start a diet _tomorrow._ "

Kensi sighed. "Would you zip it? What did you bring? It smells divine."

"Double-Deluxe cheeseburgers, super-sized fries and beer," he said.

"Perfect."

They demolished the food in record time and leaned back with full stomachs. Neither spoke for a minute. Then Kensi said, "So what's your big insight?"

Deeks pulled out his cell phone and brought up a picture of a thirty-something man in a dark suit. "I kept seeing this guy. At first, I thought he was some museum staffer, but he wasn't wearing a name tag and he seemed to be following us at a distance when Mr. Beckwith was showing us around. Did you notice him?"

Kensi studied it for a minute. "Not sure. There were so many people and kids around. He could have been with one of the school groups."

"I sent it to Eric, but no hits on facial recognition."

"Maybe he was just a man interested in ancient history, a professor or something," shrugged Kensi.

"Or somebody casing the place. There are a lot of priceless items there."

"True, but the museum has an impressive security system. One of the best I've ever seen."

Deeks ran a hand threw his hair as he looked at the picture again. "Something about the guy tickles my Spidey sense. You should never disregard that feeling."

Kensi could tell Deeks was being serious. "No, you shouldn't. That's how prehistoric man kept from being eaten by wild animals." She paused. "Good observation, partner."

Deeks looked up. "Wait. Was that a compliment from Kensi Blye?"

She punched his shoulder lightly. "I appreciate good teamwork."

The conversation drifted to other subjects as they talked and laughed. At some point, somebody clicked on the TV and they debated different shows. Kensi began to feel sleepy and before long, her head dropped onto Deeks' shoulder.

 _Hello! What just happened? Did she mean to do that?_

For several long minutes, Deeks sat immobile. _Do I dare?_ Slowly, he moved his arm up and around her shoulder. He took the empty beer bottle from her hand and set it on the end table to his right. She shifted a little, but did not wake up. He caught a whiff of her shampoo. He couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but it was something floral.

He smiled to himself. _Nice. I could so get used to this._

An annoying little thought suddenly occurred to him. What if one of Kensi's pseudo-boyfriends decided to drop by to try to rekindle something? _They wouldn't dare, would they?_

Kensi didn't know it yet, but Deeks planned to become her _real_ boyfriend in the future. He couldn't predict what hoops he'd have to jump through or how long that would take. However, he was confident he could achieve this goal. The more he thought about it, the more he embraced the idea. _Oh yeah, Marty Deeks can get the girl!_ Having thus decided on a course of action, he was finally able to settle down and savor having Kensi all to himself for a bit. He tugged her a little closer.

He checked his watch. Nearly 1 a.m. He wondered what to do. It was a work night and he really should get going. On the other hand, it would be so easy to simply stretch out here and pull Kensi down on top of him. _That would be heaven! My luck Kensi would wake up and call 911 to report sexual harassment._

Another 15 minutes passed while Deeks flipped through the TV channels. It was weird having quiet time with Kensi. She was so feisty when she was awake. He was still amazed that this whip smart, badass beauty was his partner and he got to spend every day with her. "Kensi," he whispered. "I'm leaving now."

Still no response. He disentangled himself and eased Kensi down on her side.

"Alrighty then." He clicked off the TV, bundled up their food wrappers and took them to the kitchen. Along the way he passed Kensi's open bedroom door.

"Wow." He stood transfixed in the doorway. Unmade bed, clothes and shoes everywhere, cosmetics and nail polish a foot deep on the dresser, dirty clothes hamper overflowing. He shook his head. "This relationship is doomed," he mumbled. Deeks was a super-neat guy as evidenced by his desk at the Mission.

Finally, he went in and yanked the wrinkled comforter off the foot of the bed, which caused more clothes to tumble to the floor. He shrugged. _Can't make it any worse._

He returned to the living room and draped it around Kensi and tucked her hair behind her ear. _Yep, just as silky as I imagined._ He lingered longer than he should just toying with her hair.

"Goodnight, princess."

He grabbed his keys and phone and looked back at Kensi one last time. Then he had an idea that was too good to ignore. He snapped a picture of his sleeping partner with his phone. He didn't know if he would send it to her or just keep it for himself. _Might need leverage in the future!_

He checked the door to make sure it would lock and then slipped out into the balmy night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Ugh." Kensi woke up when she almost rolled off the couch. She groaned and sat up rubbing her eyes. For a few seconds she was disoriented. As she sat there, certain memories of the previous evening began to drift back.

Deeks. Dinner. Talking. Laughing. Fun.

Was he still there? "Deeks?" she said quietly. "Are you here?" Of course, he wasn't. Somehow that made her a little sad.

He had cleared off the coffee table and put the comforter over her. That meant he'd seen her out-of-control bedroom. _Oh well. Love me, love my mess. No,no, I mean like me, like my mess. Why did that pop into my head? Okay, so Deeks has good qualities. He's not completely full of BS._

But what about that macho performance for the other cops? It set her teeth on edge as she thought about it. Was he really jealous? She'd never seen him act like that.

She yawned widely and padded to her room. Her clothes came off and were tossed in the general direction of the dirty clothes hamper. Some went in, some did not. Then she fell into bed and pulled the comforter up to her chin.

 _I'll analyze Deeks another time. There's an unlimited supply of material there._

But sleep did not return easily to Kensi. She tossed and turned and punched her pillow several times as thoughts of Deeks crept into her mind. _No matter what I do, he's always there._ _Why is he so clingy? He's like a caveman trying to stake a claim on me. Would that be such a bad thing? Maybe, maybe not_.

She had already observed how other women came onto him and if she was completely honest with herself, she did not like it. _Nope, not one little bit._ Several times they had been out questioning witnesses and she'd almost butted in and said, "He's with me."

 _Thank goodness I do exercise self-control . . . sometimes._

 **The Next Morning**

"You left me," said Kensi. She hung her jacket on the back of the chair and stood there with both hands on her hips.

"Excuse me?" said Deeks.

"Last night. I woke up and you were gone."

"Technically, it was this morning."

"So?" she challenged.

"Did you, uh, want me to spend the night? Because . . . you were asleep. On your couch. Well, on my shoulder before that. We couldn't exactly have a conversation with you snoring away there."

The look on Kensi's face was priceless. "I do not snore!" she said in a raised voice. A low-level techie walking by glanced their way. When Kensi scowled at him, the guy quickly looked down and scurried away.

Deeks grinned. "It was kind of adorable."

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"You needed your rest. And we have all day to talk. It's one of the things I do best."

"You are an excessive talker. Is there ever a time when you aren't flapping your lips?"

Deeks grinned. "Only when I'm sleeping."

Callen came around the corner. "Morning, guys." He sat down beside Kensi.

"Morning," they both answered.

"Hey, did you and Sam go to that steakhouse you were arguing about yesterday in the gym?" asked Kensi.

"As a matter of fact, we did. It wasn't bad. I'd give it an eight out of ten. You and Deeks should try it, see what you think."

"Maybe we will. Where is it?" asked Deeks.

"On Alameda, next to that theatre that only shows horror movies."

"Oooh, right up Kensi's alley," laughed Deeks.

"What did you guys do last night?" asked Callen. _Time to see if they slip up on anything._

Kensi braced herself. She had no idea what nonsense Deeks might bring up.

"Well, I can't speak for Kensi – his eyes darted to her – but I went for a run at the beach, then ate a burger, watched some TV and went to sleep."

Kensi spoke up before Deeks added anything else. "My night was pretty much the same, except for a little run-in at the convenience store." She briefly related that incident and pulled up her sleeve to reveal the nasty scrape on her arm. "And I got one on my knee, too." She tried to gauge Callen's reaction. She had a feeling he wasn't asking out of politeness. Did he suspect something about her and Deeks?

"Ouch. That's gotta hurt," said Callen.

"Hey, where's Sam?" asked Kensi. She wanted to steer the talk to something other than her and Deeks.

"Taking the kids to school. Michelle had to go into work early."

"Mr. Callen, would you kindly step over here?" called Hetty from her desk. Callen gave them one last look and pushed to his feet. Kensi and Deeks were left on their own for a few minutes.

"What was that?" asked Kensi in a low voice.

"What was what?"

She gave him a threatening look. "You know what. You didn't want Callen to know we were together last night."

Deeks glanced over at Hetty and Callen. "Callen thinks there's something up with us. He senses our _thing._ If he feels it compromises the team he might try to separate us."

Kensi looked puzzled. "Our _thing._ Is there a _thing_?"

"There could be," said Deeks. "That's for you to decide. I know where I stand on the subject. Actually, I'm sitting at the moment."

"Ever the class clown, aren't you?"

"Deny it all you want, but you know it's there," said Deeks with a nod. "You need to acknowledge it so we can move forward."

Kensi risked a look at Hetty's desk. Callen was getting up. "This discussion is not over," she said in a low voice.

"No, it's just getting started. It has to build up, layer upon layer," said Deeks. "I look forward to continuing it at every opportunity." He seemed entirely too pleased with himself.

"Oh yeah? Here's the _thing_ about _things_ : they don't always work out."

"What doesn't work out?" asked Callen as he sat down again.

Deeks spoke up. "Kensi and houseplants. She killed another one. May it rest in peace. She's a serial offender. I can be your public defender, if you like."

She shrugged and held up both thumbs. "No green thumbs here. Guess I should stick with silk flowers." She looked at Deeks. It was uncanny how quickly he could improvise.

Callen was quite sure that was not what they had been discussing.

Suddenly, a loud, peculiar noise burst forth from the landing. Eric stood there in his cargo shorts and sandals holding some unknown instrument at his lips.

"What the hell, Eric?" said Callen.

"What did you think of that?" he asked with a smile.

"I'd rather not think about it," said Kensi.

"That would wake the dead," said Deeks. "My ears are still ringing."

"Mr. Beale, was that absolutely necessary?" asked Hetty as she got up from her desk.

"Well, I don't know if it was necessary, but it was different."

"Indeed it was. Do not let it happen again or you'll be wearing long pants up there in Ops," warned Hetty.

Eric gasped and shrank back in fear. He had sensitive legs and detested real pants. "Copy that. But just so you know, that was the sound that the Oolawangu duck of Namibia makes during the southern spring migration."

"Is that even a real thing?" asked Deeks.

Kensi shook her head. "I don't think that's a real thing."

Without missing a beat Eric said, "That's what the website description said."

"I think the only thing that migrated south was your money," said Callen.

"Possibly." He paused as an idea came to him. "Maybe I'll send it to my nephews. That'll drive my sister nuts."

"Do you have something for us, Mr. Beale?" asked Hetty.

"Yeah, two incidents last night at the Los Angeles Museum of Ancient History." Eric came down to where the others were assembled and used his tablet to bring up images on the big monitor.

"Shortly before closing last night there was a drive-by shooting at the front of the museum. No one was hit and it seems it was only an act of vandalism. Witnesses across the street at the Pearl of Thailand restaurant reported seeing a dark van speeding away after the shooting."

"Could be some gang initiation," said Sam.

"Or somebody trying to distract the museum staff from the high-profile event tomorrow night," said Callen.

"Eric, what was the other incident?" asked Kensi.

"Around 2 a.m., the museum's security company reported the silent alarm being tripped. When LAPD arrived to investigate, they discovered a small fire had broken out in a basement storage area next to the janitorial closet. The fire department was able to extinguish it before any major damage was done. However, it was enough to trigger the sprinkler system, which in turn flooded half the basement."

"You said next to the janitorial closet. What about the cleaning crew?" asked Deeks. "Could they have been sloppy or was somebody smoking inside the building?"

"What time did they finish up?" asked Kensi.

Eric tapped his tablet. "They usually finish the museum around one-twenty, one-thirty. Their next assignment is the office building across the park from the museum."

"Sam and I will check for surveillance video around the restaurant and along that street. Kensi, Deeks, interview the cleaning people. See if they noticed anything unusual last night," said Callen.

"We're on it," said Deeks.

Callen and Sam headed for Sam's Challenger. "You were right," said Callen.

"About what?"

"About a couple things."

"Enlighten me," laughed Sam.

"Okay, Rudy's is a better steakhouse than that place we went last night."

"Rudy's will always be my favorite," said Sam.

"And you're right about Kensi and Deeks. Before you came in, I witnessed a telepathic exchange between them. It was . . . very interesting."

Sam nodded. "I knew it. We can't this _whatever_ with them disrupt the team."

"Although, being able to read your partner isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially in the field."

Sam remained unconvinced. "We'll see."

Meanwhile, Kensi and Deeks were having their own little discussion as they drove to the office of the cleaning company.

"Kensi, why do you always drive?" asked Deeks. "I'm perfectly capable of driving sometimes."

Her shoulders lifted in a shrug. "I like driving."

Deeks pointed at her. "No, you like being in control. Not only are you a control freak, you're hell on plants."

They stopped at a red light. Kensi looked over at him. "How do you know about my track record with plants?"

"Last night I saw a dead one in the garbage and two more in hospice on the kitchen window sill. I was tempted to go ahead and put them out of their misery."

She sighed. "Okay, I buy them and then get too busy to take care of them."

The light turned green and a big truck behind them laid on the horn. Kensi looked in the rearview mirror. "Really? It just turned green, you nitwit."

"Forget plants," said Deeks. "You have me now and I'm low-maintenance."

Kensi wasn't sure what to make of that. _Something else to consider later._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The manager of the cleaning company kept jiggling the change in his pants pocket as his eyes darted between Kensi and Deeks. When he heard _Federal Agents_ , he got a bad feeling in his gut and remembered he might have half a dozen or more undocumented workers on the payroll.

"Questions? About what?" he stammered.

"We're not ICE," said Kensi. "We just want to know if the cleaners at the museum last night saw or heard anything suspicious regarding the fire."

The man nodded and visibly relaxed. "Right. The fire. Saw that on the news this morning. They're waiting in the break room. Never had any trouble from them. They're good, hardworking people." _Thank goodness these people are here legally._

Kensi smiled, hoping to put the man at ease. "I'm sure they are."

"This way," he said and led them down a non-descript hallway.

A wary-looking couple, probably in their late twenties, sat at one of the tables along with a younger man. The stocky, older man pushed to his feet. "Buenos días. I am Edgar." He gestured to the woman. "My wife, Marisol and her brother, Julio."

The woman twisted a wad of Kleenex in her hands while her brother looked down at the table.

"Did anything different or unusual happen during your shift last night?" asked Deeks.

"No, señor. We do our cleaning, mopping. Like every night." He paused and pulled out his wallet. We have green cards, pay taxes. We love America."

Marisol nodded, her dark eyes fearful. "Sí, señor. We no want trouble."

"Julio, anything to add?" asked Kensi.

He finally looked up from the table. "No, señora. Same as every night."

"So, no one approached you either before or after your shift? Anyone hanging around the alley behind the museum?" asked Deeks.

"We talk to no one," said Edgar. "The garbage truck comes each night as we leave. They say nothing, we say nothing. We do our jobs and be good citizens."

Kensi and Deeks shared a brief look. "Okay, I guess we're through here." She took out a card and gave it to Edgar. "If you think of anything, no matter how small."

"Of course, señora."

Back in the car, Kensi turned to Deeks. "Your thoughts?"

"Edgar and Marisol, just honest folks striving for the American dream. Julio could be the weak link. He's younger, no doubt more impressionable."

"But he seemed to defer to his brother-in-law," added Kensi.

"True. Let's see what Eric turned up," said Deeks. He punched in Eric's number.

"Hey, guys. I was about to call you. When all three of them aren't pulling extra shifts, they're taking English and citizenship classes at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and every month they send money back to Mexico. The only wrinkle is Julio's two tickets for driving without a license. Minor fender-benders both times with no injuries. Otherwise, they're model immigrants."

"Okay, thanks."

Back at the Mission, Sam and Callen had little to report. "Of the six surveillance cameras we found, only three of them were actually working last night and they didn't show anything useful," said Callen.

"Eric, have you found anything at all that could help us?" asked Sam.

Eric spun around in his chair with a smile. "I'm so glad you asked." He got up and punched up an image of a man on the big screen.

"Meet Bradley Charles Webster, III, age 37. Honors graduate of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago and former fiancé of Dr. Elise Korinth. He was a rising star in the field until eight months ago when he got tangled up with some antiquities smugglers. He paid a hefty fine and was ordered to do community service. He was also fired from his position as associate professor at the Institute. After that, Elise broke off the engagement. Bradley did not take it well."

"How so?" asked Deeks.

"Elise was out to dinner one evening with colleagues when Bradly showed up drunk. According to police reports, there was shouting and pushing, a fight broke out and Bradley broke the nose of Dr. Howard Pemberton, dean of the Oriental Institute. The next day Elise filed for a restraining order."

"Nothing worse than a bad break-up," mumbled Deeks.

Kensi slid him a look. "Speaking from personal experience, I assume."

"Where is this guy now?" asked Callen. "This could be his way of getting back at Elise."

"Right. Embarrass her and her mother on an important occasion," agreed Sam.

"Credit card activity shows he purchased a one-way ticket to London two days ago. He has a sister who lives there and recently had a baby."

"Bradley is out of reach, but he could have hired someone do these things," said Kensi.

"I've checked everything I can think of and there doesn't seem to be any connection between Bradley and anyone at the cleaning company," said Eric.

"Are we sure Bradley really took that flight?" asked Deeks. "He could have bought a ticket to throw authorities off."

"Way ahead of you there," said Eric. "His passport was scanned at LAX and again at Heathrow."

"One-way ticket," said Callen. "Bradley Charles Webster, III is in the wind."

"Maybe we're looking at this whole thing wrong. Maybe these were just random, unrelated incidents," said Sam.

"Maybe. But when do we ever accept _random_ and _unrelated_ in this business?" said Callen.

Sam nodded slowly. "Right."

"All we can do is be prepared for tomorrow night," said Callen.

Eric got a call on his Bluetooth. He listened for a moment, then said, "Got it." He looked at Kensi and Deeks. "You guys are needed in wardrobe."

"Wardrobe?" said Deeks with a look of surprise. "There's a wardrobe department here?"

Kensi grabbed his arm. "Come on. You'll see."

Tucked away in a corner downstairs was Hetty's wardrobe department. Hetty was on the phone, probably with Assistant Director Granger by the sound of her raised voice. They stood there waiting for her to finish.

"This is certainly different from LAPD," said Deeks as he eyed the racks of men's and women's clothes. "When I went undercover there my attire came from the Goodwill or Salvation Army stores. And the older and grungier the better."

"Exactly what kind of undercover work did you do?" asked Kensi.

"I'll tell you all about it sometime. Preferably over dinner."

Kensi's eyebrows shot up. "Can't wait."

"Do I detect some sarcasm there?"

"Detect away," said Kensi with a smirk.

"Owen Granger will be the death of me," said Hetty when she walked up.

"Problem?" asked Kensi.

She waved a hand as if pushing the Assistant Director aside. "Oh, nothing this old warrior can't handle, Ms. Blye. Now, why don't you go pick out something suitable for a gala museum affair while I get Mr. Deeks measured for his tuxedo."

Deeks smiled. "I like the sound of that."

"Yes, no smelly thrift store clothing for this assignment. No impersonating homeless drifters behind restaurants."

Deeks stared at Hetty. "How do you know about that?"

Hetty's lips quirked up the tiniest bit. "Ah, Mr. Deeks. I know everything."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Deeks regarded Hetty with a mixture of awe and fear. Before he could respond, a courier arrived with a large, padded envelope which required her signature. "Very good. You may take that upstairs to Mr. Beale in Ops," she directed the young man.

The longer he was at NCIS, the more Deeks realized that Henrietta Lange did, in fact, know everything about _everything._ He couldn't say how she accomplished that, but accepted it as a fact of life at his new gig.

"Now, let's get down to business, shall we?" She proceeded to pull out a step stool and climbed up to measure across Deeks' shoulders and down his arms.

"You know, Hetty, I could sit down, if that's easier."

"Nonsense, Mr. Deeks. The jacket would not hang properly if you did that. Besides, you must look spectacular tomorrow night."

"Spectacular. Wow. Like James Bond?" grinned Deeks.

Hetty caught his eye in the mirror in front of him. "I wouldn't go that far. However, I could loan you my lipstick gun, if you would like a gadget."

Deeks blinked in surprise. "You, you have one of those? I thought that was an urban myth."

Hetty's narrowed eyes told him all he needed to know. "Never discount urban myths. There might be a grain of truth in them."

Deeks nodded. "I'll pass. But Kensi might enjoy wielding that power." He paused for a second. "On second thought, she might find an excuse to use it on me."

Hetty stopped measuring for a moment. "That would most unfortunate because then I would have to find her a new partner."

"Yeah and I like being Kensi's partner. I feel I'm beginning to understand her. We can just forget this conversation ever happened."

"Very well. I disavow all knowledge of it, Mr. Deeks."

Around the corner, Kensi was engrossed in selecting the perfect dress and tuned out Deeks and Hetty. This would be her first undercover op with Deeks and she was anxious to make a good impression. _Wait. When did I start caring what he thought about my clothes? Probably that first day in Ops when I realized he was permanent._

She flipped through the dresses aggressively. _Boring. Too plain. Itchy material. Maybe. Don't think so. Hate that color. Oh, what's this?_ She pulled out a black one-shoulder sleeveless dress with sequins and a thigh slit. _I'd forgotten about this one._ Next to it was the exact same dress, but in burgundy. _Wonder which color Deeks would prefer?_

"Ugh!" She slapped her forehead. _It doesn't matter which color he likes! It's my choice._

But she couldn't decide, so she grabbed both and went to where Hetty and Deeks were. Deeks had both arms out to the side and Hetty was making sure the tuxedo jacket was not too tight.

"You look like a scarecrow. All that's missing is a straw hat," she laughed.

He turned his head slightly toward her. "I'm sure Hetty has one around here somewhere." He noticed the dresses over her arm. "What's that?"

She held up one in each hand. "Hetty, which one is best?"

"My dear, either one is fine. It's up to you."

Eric poked his head around the corner. "Hetty, sorry to interrupt. Assistant Director Granger is calling in Ops. Something about missing evaluations."

Hetty dropped the tap measure on the table and sighed. "If Owen was more computer-savvy, he'd realize I have already sent those to him. I'll be right up." She turned to Deeks. "The pants are on that rack. You can try them on to be sure they're long enough."

"Got it."

Hetty departed with Eric. Deeks slipped off the jacket and hung it up. "Does your partner get a vote on those dresses?"

Kensi looked from one to the other. "Nope. I'm going to try them on now."

"If you need help with a zipper or anything, I'm right here."

She went into a small cubicle and snapped the curtain behind her. "I got it, Deeks."

"I like both of them," he called out.

"Thanks for your input." Kensi put a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing.

"Any time. Don't come out here because I'm taking off my jeans."

Behind the curtain, Kensi sighed dramatically as she heard the rasp of his zipper. "As if that would ever cross my mind."

Deeks chuckled. "Okay, you've been warned because I don't always know what's going on in your mind."

"Does everything have to be a big production with you?" asked Kensi. She pulled the burgundy dress over her head and smoothed it down. She turned around and checked out her appearance from every angle. _Not bad._

"I'm only trying to be a considerate partner, you know, save you from a potentially awkward situation."

"Excuse me, awkward? Being with you every day is the height of awkwardness."

The tuxedo pants were a good fit and Deeks put the jacket back on to get the complete picture. "Seriously? I think it's the other way around."

"May I come out now, mother?" asked Kensi in a sassy voice.

"You may."

Kensi flung the curtain aside and stepped out. She felt Deeks' eyes travel over every inch of her. She wanted to squirm, but somehow managed to stand still. He smiled when their eyes met. "Looking good, partner. Turn around . . . slowly."

She complied, surprisingly without arguing. "I approve," he said.

"Well, I'm so glad," she said. They stared at each for a long moment before Kensi found her voice again. "Uh, you don't look half bad yourself."

Deeks looked down at himself. "Thanks. There's nothing like a nice tux to give a guy confidence. The only other time I wore one was to senior prom. It was a crappy, ill-fitting rental from the mall, but it was good enough for Delilah Conrad. She was a cheerleader and . . ."

Kensi cut him off. "Really, Delilah? I don't need to hear about your past conquests."

"Sorry. I digress. Why don't you show me the black one?"

Kensi blew out a sigh. "It's exactly like this one, except it's black."

"I know, but I'd like to see it. Please?"

Kensi looked ready to protest, but turned on her heel and went back to the dressing room. "Fine."

Behind the curtain, she rolled her eyes. _Delilah Conrad. Whatever._ She quickly changed out of the burgundy dress and wiggled into the black one. She stepped out and again had to do a slow turn for Deeks.

Another smile from him. "This one's good, too. So, what's your pick?"

Kensi studied her reflection and flipped her hair over one shoulder. "You'll have to wait until tomorrow night to find out."

Once more, they shared a look. "Fair enough," said Deeks. "You may think I'm a voyeur, but I'm really a connoisseur of beautiful women."

Kensi was so taken aback that she could not come up with a snarky reply.

Eric was at his computer when one of the alerts he'd set caused him to lean forward. _Uh oh, this can't be good._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 _What is this guy up to?_ wondered Eric. He studied the screen closely, then began checking other databases. _Something is not right._ He immediately called Callen.

"What is it, Eric?"

"I just got a hit on Bradley Webster's passport."

"Tell me more." Callen picked up the TV remote and muted the documentary he'd been watching about the Russian czars.

"He's not listed on any passenger manifest, yet his passport showed up at LAX 20 minutes.

"Interesting. Any surveillance footage of him?"

"Searching now, but don't hold your breath. Apparently, the airport has been having intermittent power surges due to ongoing construction. Plus, there were two Aeroméxico, three Delta and two Qantas flights all landing around the same time."

"Okay, keep me posted."

"Want to grab some food?" asked Deeks after they'd changed back into their street clothes.

"Not tonight. I'm meeting some girlfriends for dinner."

"Girlfriends? Have I met them?"

Kensi stared at him. "You know perfectly well that you haven't."

"You could introduce me. What are their names?"

"There you go being all persistent and nosy again. If you must know, it's Tiffani, Joanna, Lauren and Tiffany."

"You said Tiffany twice."

"That's because there's Tiffani with an ' _i'_ and Tiffany with a _'y_.'"

"Got it. Tiffany times two," nodded Deeks.

By now they were at the parking lot. A white convertible with the top down was waiting with two attractive women in it. The driver raised a hand in greeting. "Hi, Kensi. Ready to go?"

"So ready," she sighed.

"Hello, ladies," said Deeks. He gifted them with his killer smile. "Marty Deeks, Kensi's new partner."

 _The man could be in a toothpaste commercial_ , thought Kensi. He was wearing a white tee shirt, jeans and had his messenger bag slung across his chest. Kensi was acutely aware of her friends checking him out.

The driver spoke up. "Hi, Marty. I'm Lauren."

"And I'm Joanna," said the other woman. "We've heard your name, Detective.

"Yes, several times," confirmed Lauren.

"So, Kensi's mentioned me." He cut his eyes briefly to her. "Good to know."

"But now we can put a body, I mean, _face_ to it," said Lauren with a killer smile of her own.

Kensi was mortified. _I can't believe she said that._

"Where are the Tiffanies?" he asked, clearly enjoying the attention.

"You know about them? They're meeting us at the restaurant," said Joanna. "Why don't you join us? We'd love to get to know you better."

"I'll bet you have some cool cop stories," added Lauren.

Behind his back, Kensi was shaking her head and mouthing _no, no, no._

"Another time. I'm sure Kensi needs some girl-talk since she operates in a high-testosterone zone all day." He adjusted the strap of his bag.

"Yes, please!" said Kensi. Her eyes narrowed. _Did he just flex his biceps? What a show-off._ She barely restrained an urge to slug one of said biceps.

"I imagine you'll be discussing hair and make-up and reality shows . . . and men," said Deeks.

"Don't get it in your head that we'll be discussing _you_ , Deeks," said Kensi with a snort. Even as she said it, she knew, without a doubt, he would be the number one topic. Lauren and Joanna looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"Oooh, big strong NICS agents," gushed Lauren.

"It's _NCIS_ ," corrected Kensi.

Lauren waved a hand. "Oh well, whatever you guys are called. I can never get it straight."

"Ladies, it was a pleasure," said Deeks. He turned to Kensi and winked. "Catch you tomorrow, Kensalina."

She glared at him. "Kensalina? What's with that?"

Deeks didn't respond, but grinned and got in his car

Kensi climbed in the back seat and threw her things on the floorboard.

"Damn, girl," gushed Joanna. "You hit the partner jackpot."

Kensi pulled her hair into a ponytail and sighed. "He's my _work_ partner. That's all. End of discussion. Besides, it's not like I picked him out of a catalog. My boss thrust him on me."

"I wouldn't mind him being thrust on _me_ ," said Lauren with a giggle.

Kensi's did an eye roll. "Okay, bad choice of words. You two are impossible. Why am I friends with you again?"

Lauren slipped her designer sunglasses on. "Because we're fun and straight-shooters. And he already has a pet name for you. How cute!"

"Can we forget about Deeks? I really need a margarita." She closed her eyes and massaged her forehead. As if on cue, Kensi's phone buzzed with a text from Deeks. _Can't go wrong with black._

 _Of course, the dress_ , she thought. _I should wear the burgundy one just to spite him._

Joanna was shocked. "Why? He's gorgeous."

"Yeah. Is he single?" asked Lauren.

Kensi felt like screaming. "As far as I know."

Joanna turned half-way around in her seat. "You work with him every day and you don't know?"

"No wedding band," noted Lauren.

"We can't wear a lot of jewelry in this job."

"Kensi, you need to make a move. It's not every day a hottie like that drops into your life," said Joanna.

"No kidding," sighed Lauren. "And it's pretty obvious Marty has a thing for you."

Kensi was startled. There it was again. The elusive 'thing.' _It must exist and I'm the only one trying to deny it._

With an effort, Kensi tried to direct the conversation to other subjects. "So Lauren, when's that big interview?"

Discussion about jobs and interviews and bosses occupied them until they reached the restaurant 15 minutes later, then the talk shifted to food and drink.

The Tiffanies were not there yet, so the three of them sat down on a long bench at the front of the restaurant to wait.

"Kensi, will you be at Zumba tomorrow night?" asked Joanna.

"Sorry. I have to work."

"With Marty?" said Lauren.

Kensi sighed. They were back to Deeks again. "Yes, with Mar, uh, Deeks. We just call him Deeks. And Sam and Callen."

"Let me guess, you can't talk about it," said Joanna.

"Right. You know I would tell you if I could."

About that time, the Tiffanies arrived and the group was shown to a table. As usual, Kensi chose a chair so she could watch the entrance of the restaurant. Joanna noticed and said, "You're never off duty, are you?"

Kensi picked up a menu and smiled. "Not really."

Throughout dinner it seemed to be all about Marty, Marty, Marty. Finally, Kensi said, "Isn't there any other news besides my new partner?"

The women all looked at each other and started laughing. "Nothing as delicious as your Marty," said Tiffany.

Suddenly, Kensi's cell rang. She felt a flash of irritation when she saw Deeks' name. _At least I haven't put his picture on there yet._ But she'd considered it.

"Why are you interrupting my dinner?" she demanded.

Lauren leaned toward the table and whispered, "I bet it's Marty."

"Yeah, love you, too," said Deeks.

The phone almost slipped from Kensi's hand. "Excuse me?"

Deeks tried not to laugh. "Oh, forgot who I was talking to."

"You're talking to your partner. Did you butt-dial me?

"No, there's been a shooting," he said.

"What?" Kensi was all business now. She got up and moved toward a row of potted plants along one side of the restaurant.

"Remember Beckwith, the museum director?"

"Of course. What happened?"

"He and his wife were returning from the symphony tonight and two guys jumped them at their front door. Shots were fired and they were transported to Cedars-Sinai. Eric's trying to get more info."

"Could this be a random robbery?"

"Beats me," said Deeks. "Sam and Callen are headed to the house and we're to go to the hospital to interview the Beckwiths. Where are you? I'll swing by and get you."

Kensi blew out a sigh. "Okay."

"Kens?

"Yeah?"

"Sorry this messes up your evening with the girls."

"Part of the job, right? We were just lingering over our margaritas."

Deeks laughed. "Should I bring you some coffee?"

"Shut up and hurry up."

"Yes, ma'am. Walking out the front door as we speak."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

A tall blond-haired man entered the restaurant and looked around the noisy, crowded room.

Tiffany's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. "Is that him?"

All heads swiveled toward the front. "Yeah, that's Kensi's new guy," confirmed Lauren.

"I totally approve," said Tiffani.

Joanna waved her hand and yelled, "Over here, Marty."

Deeks smiled and worked his way back to their table. He nodded at the two women he hadn't met. "You're the Tiffanies."

"Guilty as charged," giggled Tiffani.

"Are you here to arrest us?" asked Tiffany. She was on the verge of hyperventilation and quickly took a slurp of her margarita.

Deeks eyed them speculatively. "That depends. Have you done anything illegal?"

Tiffany and Tiffani looked at each other. "Well . . . we jaywalked coming to the restaurant," said Tiffani.

Deeks shook his head. "Oooh, that's bad. Did you at least look both ways before committing the offense of jaywalking?"

"Yeah, we did that," said Tiffany.

Deeks pretended to think about it for a minute. "I suppose I can let you off with a warning this time."

"Oh, thank you so much, Detective," giggled Tiffani.

As much as Deeks enjoyed this banter, dare he say _flirtation_ , with Kensi's friends, he sensed they would keep him here all evening if he didn't take control of the situation.

Looking around he asked, "Uh, where's Kensi?"

"You mean Kensalina?" asked Lauren, barely able to suppress a giggle.

Deeks chuckled. "Yeah, Kensalina."

Joanna jerked a thumb toward the rear of the restaurant. "Bathroom."

Kensi dried her hands and inserted her ear wig. She stood at the sink and listened in amazement as her friends started peppering Deeks with questions:

 _Do you miss being a lawyer? Do you work out a lot? Are you really a surfer? Can you teach me to surf? What's the scariest part of your job?_

"The scariest part of my job? Believe it or not, some days it's riding with Kensi."

Loud guffaws of laughter erupted from the table. Nearby diners craned their necks to see what was so funny.

"I can believe it," said Lauren. "Kensi's a bit of a lead foot."

"That's putting it mildly," agreed Deeks. "Last Thursday we were going to lunch and . . ."

Suddenly, Kensi was in his left ear. "If you can stop schmoozing with my friends, we need to get to the hospital."

Deeks' head jerked and he touched his ear.

"You okay, Marty?" asked Tiffany.

"Yeah, good. I think a gnat flew in my ear."

"A gnat?" hissed Kensi. "Don't make me request a new partner."

Deeks continued as if he had not heard her. "Or maybe a mosquito. You know, something really buzzy and annoying."

"You have no idea how annoying I can be," warned Kensi.

A minute later, Kensi exited the bathroom and stopped. Peals of high-pitched laughter floated around the corner to her.

 _Are you kidding me? They act like they've never seen a cute guy before._ _Hold up. Do I think Deeks is cute?_ She mentally slapped herself. _Work, Kensi! Get your head in the game._ She hiked up her purse on her shoulder and marched toward their table with a scowl.

"There you are, partner. Ready to go?" asked Deeks as he stood up.

"Let's roll. I already paid my check."

"I hate that you have to leave so early, but since you'll be with Marty, it's okay," said Joanna with a wink. The girls got up and exchanged brief hugs with Kensi.

Deeks looked on in amusement. "Do I get a hug?" He tried to sound like a little lost boy.

Kensi grabbed his arm. "We don't have time for that. We're on the clock."

"Another time then, ladies," called Deeks over his shoulder as Kensi urged him toward the door.

"Did you see that?" asked Tiffani.

"What? How Kensi took possession of him?" said Joanna wistfully.

"How his face lit up when he saw Kensi. Oh yeah, it's happening!" said Tiffani.

The girls high-fived each other and signaled the waiter for another round of drinks.

"Your friends seem nice," said Deeks when they were in the car.

"They are, but they may have been tainted somewhat now that they've met you."

Deeks laughed. "Touché. However, I prefer to think their lives have been tremendously enriched by even this fleeting encounter with 'never say no to a party' Marty."

Kensi snorted. "Just keep on living in fantasy land. If I hadn't rescued you, they would have dragged you out to the beach for a surfing lesson tonight."

"I don't see any downside to that. Beautiful women, warm breezes, squishy sand between your toes."

"The only thing that's going to be squishy is your head when I pummel it if you don't start paying attention. You missed the exit for the hospital."

"Don't fret, Kensalina. The next exit up here will dump us behind the ambulance bay of the ER. As federal agents on an active case, we won't be hassled about parking. Not to mention, I know some of the ER nurses."

Kensi shook her head. "I'll bet you do."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Hey, Deeks! Qué pasa, mi amigo?"

An Hispanic man with a stethoscope around his neck grabbed Deeks in a bear hug and almost squeezed the breath out of him. When he released him, Deeks inhaled deeply and said, "Oh, you know, Manny, just living the dream."

Manny looked him over. "You don't need a slug dug out of your butt or some stitches, do you?"

Deeks smiled. "Not tonight, thank goodness."

Manny turned to Kensi. "And this pretty lady doesn't appear to be in any distress."

"Manny, this is my new partner, NCIS Special Agent Kensi Blye. Manny's the 3 to 11 charge nurse."

"Nice to meet you, Manny," said Kensi as she shook his beefy hand.

"Likewise. Back in the day, your guy was a frequent flyer here in the E. R. All those undercover gigs with shady characters," said Manny. "I hope you can keep him out of dark, dingy alleys."

Kensi looked at Deeks with a smirk. "You got shot in the butt? I can't wait to tell Sam and Callen."

"I'd rather you didn't. So, back to the real reason we're here. We need to speak with the Beckwith couple."

"Beckwith. Right. They're around the corner in bay eight. Neurology is checking Mrs. Beckwith right now for a possible concussion and Carla is cleaning up Mr. Beckwith's arm. I'm sure you remember Carla."

"Yeah, my girl Carla," nodded Deeks. "She's seen more of me than should be legal. It'll be good to see her again without her jabbing a needle in me."

Manny threw back his head and laughed. "I hear you, bro. Nobody escapes Carla and her hypodermic."

In her mind's eye, Kensi pictured a buxom nurse in a too-tight uniform who would flirt outrageously with Deeks. _Well, well. This should be interesting._

"Manny, two gunshot victims, ETA 8 minutes," called a nurse from the desk.

"Go do your thing," said Deeks as he and Kensi started down the hall. The curtain at bay eight opened just as Deeks and Kensi reached it and a short, hefty Filipina nurse looked up in shock. She planted her hands on her hips. "Marty Deeks, as I live and breathe! Then she hugged him. "Where have you been?"

"Trying to keep the good citizens of Los Angeles a little safer. I'm surprised you're still here, Carla."

"Only a couple more years, then I'm gonna call it quits."

"But what will you do then?" asked Deeks.

Carla laughed. "Babysit the grandkids, of course."

"Good plan. Carla, this is Kensi Blye, my new NCIS partner."

Carla looked at Kensi and nodded with approval. "Nice to meet you, Kensi. You keep my Marty out of trouble, you hear?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm doing my best."

"Hey, Carla. How soon before we can talk to them?" He inclined his head toward the curtain.

"Give Dr. Satterfield another five minutes or so."

"Got it."

Around the corner, the noise and confusion that accompanies trauma patients could be heard. "Duty calls," said Carla. "Good to see you, Marty. I almost didn't recognize you with pants on."

Deeks laughed. "You're a riot, Carla. Take care."

"Carla must have some enlightening stories about you," said Kensi when the nurse rounded the corner.

"She does. But she'll never tell. Carla's got my back."

"Don't you mean _backside_?" Kensi snorted with glee.

Deeks grinned. "Okay, Kensalina, touché."

The doctor stepped out and said, "Good evening, Detectives. You may question them now, but not more than 10 minutes. They're tired and anxious to get home."

"Understood," said Kensi.

"They came out of nowhere," exclaimed Mrs. Beckwith with a heavy sigh. "They wore masks. It was the worst thing I've ever experienced."

"Yes, one had a Trump mask and the other had an Obama mask," said Mr. Beckwith. "Obama grabbed my Rolex and Trump grabbed Emily's purse and shoved her down."

"There were reports of shots fired," said Kensi.

"Yes, one of them, I'm not sure who, fired when I tried to help Emily. Thank goodness it was only a flesh wound."

Mrs. Beckwith took his hand. "Ronald, you could have been killed!"

"I was more concerned about you, dear," said Mr. Beckwith soothingly.

"Was there anything familiar about the men? Their voices, their mannerisms, anything?" asked Deeks.

"Nothing," said Mr. Beckwith. "But now that I think about it, I'm fairly certain the Obama guy dropped my watch when they ran off. Wouldn't he have picked it up?"

"What made them run off?" asked Kensi.

"Our neighbors on both sides have dogs and they started barking," said Emily Beckwith. "I'm a cat person, but I've never been so glad to hear barking dogs."

"Man's best friend," said Deeks.

"Have there been any other crimes in the neighborhood?" asked Kensi.

"Well, our neighbor across the street had her car stolen two weeks ago, but it turns out Janie had left it unlocked in the driveway. She's 90 years old," said Mrs. Beckwith. "Said she forgot to lock up."

"Have you had to fire anyone recently from the staff or has anyone left under unusual circumstances?" asked Deeks.

Mr. Beckwith shook his head as he cradled his injured arm. "One of the maintenance men quit about a month ago. Said he got a job closer to home. That's the only person's who's left recently. Overall, the staff is very stable."

Deeks pulled out his cell phone. "Do you recognize this man?"

Both Beckwiths studied the image intently, but neither knew him. "Who is he?" asked Mr. Beckwith.

"Don't know, maybe no one of interest. But he seemed to be following us when you were giving us the tour," said Deeks.

"It was quite crowded that day and that can make it hard to observe everyone," admitted Mr. Beckwith.

"True. Okay, I guess we're through here. If you think of anything, please let us know immediately," said Deeks.

"Of course. And thank you for all you're doing," said Mr. Beckwith.

Deeks and Kensi were almost to the exit when a woman in tight pink scrubs called out, "Marty, is that you?"

Deeks turned his head. "Hi, uh . . ."

"It's me, Tina. Remember, I took your blood that time you got shot."

"Oh yeah, Tina. How've you been? Still draining patients dry?"

Tina giggled. "Of course. That's my job!" Before the conversation could get any more awkward, Manny waved a hand. "Tina! Leave the detective alone. We need a CBC stat in bay one."

"Okay. Call me sometime, Marty." She giggled again as she pushed her blood draw cart toward bay one.

Deeks sighed. "What an airhead. I think she wrote her number on the hem of my ripped tee shirt. But what I definitely remember was that she had to stick me three times before she hit a vein and I have really good veins." He stuck out his forearm for Kensi's inspection.

A prominent vein was visible in the crook of his right arm. "Wow, even I could hit that one. You sure you didn't keep the tee shirt?" she said.

"No way. Some drunk perp I was trying to arrest had just thrown up on me."

Kensi wrinkled her nose. "Gross."

"Yeah. Right before his equally drunk buddy shot me in the butt."

"The glamorous life of Detective Deeks," laughed Kensi. "Hey, I think that could be a new comic book series."

They climbed in Deeks' car and he shook his head. "I get no respect. Wait, do you like comic books?"

Kensi eyed him suspiciously. "Yeah. Do you?"

"Yeah. Did Hetty somehow know that when she made us partners?"

"I really couldn't say," replied Kensi.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Only when they were back in the car did Kensi mentally relax. _Deeks' nurse friends are not what I expected. I let my imagination run away with me. But my imagination is pretty vivid where Deeks is concerned. Carla and Manny are good people. Tina, well, better not go there._

"See, there was no need for you to be jealous," said Deeks as he turned out of the parking lot.

"Who said anything about being jealous?" said Kensi in a huffy tone. "You're reading more into the situation than is necessary."

Deeks cut his eyes to her. "I think you were a wee bit concerned about my nurses."

"Your nurses are lovely caregivers. I liked them."

"That they are. However, Manny and Carla aren't the only nurses I know," he added mysteriously.

They were approaching an exit. Kensi said, "Left or right?"

"We take the second left up here."

"Actually, I meant your unfortunate butt mishap."

"Unfortunate butt mishap. Wow, when you say it like that it sounds like I had epic diarrhea or hemorrhoids."

Kensi made a gagging sound. "That's disgusting . . . and you're avoiding the question."

"Even though you're my partner, that remains confidential patient information, you know, HIPAA stuff. In other words, that is for me to know and you to discover."

"Are you throwing down a dare?"

Deeks shrugged. "Take it however you like."

Never one to back down from a dare, Kensi said, "Oh, it's on." She didn't want to analyze right now why she was so consumed with learning everything she could about her new partner. _Work partner_ , she reminded herself. _We only work together._ Had she not stressed that fact to her girlfriends earlier this evening?

"Given your sudden preoccupation with my butt, I accept _your_ challenge of _my_ challenge."

"Wait a minute. Callen's calling." She pressed a button and switched to speaker phone. "Go, Callen."

"How are the Beckwiths?"

"The husband got a flesh would in his arm and the wife was terrified and scraped up, but they'll be released in a little while."

"Hey, did you guys find a man's Rolex there?" asked Deeks.

"As a matter of fact, we did and the contents of a woman's purse," said Callen. "We're working on getting security camera footage from the area. Meet us back in Ops. Eric said he has an update."

"On our way," said Kensi and disconnected.

"It doesn't make sense," said Kensi. "Why didn't they go back for the watch?"

"Right. You have an older, defenseless couple, you have the weapons, you're in charge of the situation. Even if dogs are making a ruckus, a Rolex is a valuable piece of bling. I would have certainly gone back for it."

"Unless it was more about intimidation than an actual robbery," said Kensi.

"Right. Somebody trying to rattle their nerves hoping Mr. Beckwith will overlook something tomorrow night."

 **Back in Ops**

Eric brought up surveillance footage from the customs area at LAX. "Meet Bradley _Conrad_ Webster, 45-year-old self-employed CPA from Encino. He's returning from a family wedding in Mexico with his wife and kids." The footage showed an African-American man in a flowered shirt and shorts, followed by an attractive woman and two sullen teenagers pulling their carry-ons.

"Definitely not our Brad," said Callen.

"As far as I can tell, unless our Brad has had plastic surgery and obtained a new passport, he's still in London," said Eric.

"So we're no closer to figuring out this thing," said Sam.

"Kens, what did you guys learn?" asked Callen. She relayed the info about the presidential masks and then Deeks' cell rang.

He looked at the number. "It's Beckwith."

"Mr. Beckwith, how are you?"

"We were just released. Our daughter came to pick us up. I'm calling because my wife remembered something which may or may not be significant. Only the one in the Obama mask actually spoke. The other one started to say something, but Obama told him to shut up."

"Okay, thanks. Try to get some rest."

"Maybe that guy had an accent or was someone they knew," said Deeks.

"I could look at stores selling masks, but with Halloween coming up that would take a long time. I've even seen them for sale in convenience stores," said Eric.

"Get a fill-up and a new face, all at the same place," said Deeks.

"Start by looking at stores near the Beckwith home. Maybe our bad guys aren't too smart and we'll catch a break," said Callen.

 **Big Night at the Museum**

Usually when a man and a woman are preparing to go out for the evening, the man is ready first and has to wait on his date. And this proved to be the case tonight with Deeks and Kensi.

 _Okay, so it's not a date, but it kinda feels like one. I wouldn't mind going on a real one with Kensi._

"Mr. Deeks, are you ready for your first undercover with NCIS?" asked Hetty.

Deeks checked out his reflection in the full-length mirror. "Oh yeah, it'll be a walk in the park compared to some of the cases I worked with LAPD. Now if only my _date_ would hurry up. Why are guys always waiting?"

"I heard that, Detective," snapped Kensi from the small changing cubicle. "And it's not a date, it's work."

"But you wish it was. Plus, there's no reason why work can't be fun. Well, as long as you have the right partner."

Deeks leaned toward Hetty and whispered, "You didn't loan her that lipstick gun, did you?"

Hetty's eyebrows arched up, but she remained silent with that quirky little almost-smile. "Just be on your best behavior tonight, Mr. Deeks."

"Copy that."

Kensi stepped out and immediately felt Deeks' eyes assessing her. He smiled. "Like I said, you can't go wrong with black." Kensi liked the couture dress, but she liked the way Deeks looked at her even more. The air between them felt electric and goosebumps popped out on her arms. Kensi returned his smile and reached into her small clutch to retrieve her ear wig.

"Was it worth the wait?" she asked quietly.

"Absolutely." They continued to stare at each other as if they were the only two people there.

Sam and Callen appeared at that moment looking equally sharp in their tuxedos. "I'll be up in Ops with Mr. Beale," said Hetty as she ushered them out the door. "Good luck, everyone."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Distinguished-looking men, elegant women in expensive dresses and even more expensive jewels, waiters circulating with trays of champagne flutes. The excitement and anticipation surrounding the opening of the new wing at the Los Angeles Museum of Ancient History was palpable.

SECNAV shared a laugh with Winifred Korinth, whom she had not seen in many years. Mrs. Korinth pulled out some old photos and they huddled over them.

But not everyone was who they seemed to be. Numerous undercover LAPD officers and NCIS agents discreetly worked the crowd. Callen and Sam were posing as wealthy bankers and Kensi was playing the part of a curator at the museum.

Across the room, she spotted Deeks chatting up Dr. Elise Korinth, a vision in an apricot-colored designer dress, and wondered what kind of yarn he was spinning. She decided she needed to find out, although Dr. Korinth nodded and seemed genuinely interested.

"Martin Deeks, attorney. I make sure the team has all the necessary permits and paperwork before the dig begins. You know, keep everything on the up and up."

"Yes, that is a vital component of archaeology today. So unlike the early days of my father's explorations."

He threw out some more legalese or maybe it was just BS. Kensi wasn't sure, but it sounded impressive and it was amusing to listen to Deeks playing his part. She had almost forgotten that he was, in fact, a member of the California bar.

Deeks noticed Kensi approaching. "Ah, Dr. Korinth. Have you meet Ms. Blye? She's one of the curators here at the museum."

The two women shook hands. Dr. Korinth asked some questions and Kensi spewed out a bunch of facts about antiquities, either from Wikipedia or maybe a dossier prepared by Hetty. Once she paused as if carefully considering a question. Actually, she was waiting while Eric fed her the answer through her ear wig. No matter, she sounded sexy as hell.

 _That's my girl_ , thought Deeks with admiration. He nodded and seemed to be following the conversation while his eyes noted the people around them. He saw Mr. Beckwith greeting well-wishers near the front of the gallery. He was holding his injured arm gingerly after refusing his wife's suggestion to wear the sling from the hospital.

A small podium was set up in front of the double doors that would be opened in a few minutes to reveal the new wing. A new group of people came up to speak to Dr. Korinth and Kensi and Deeks drifted away.

A waiter came by and Deeks snagged two flutes of champagne. "Deeks, we're on duty," Kensi reminded him.

"I know, but I'm thirsty and if we don't appear to mingle we stand out as law enforcement. Look at SECNAV's security boys. Are those gorillas in suits, or what?"

"There is that," she said and took a delicate sip of the bubbly.

"How do you do it?" he asked.

"Do what?"

"Wear those killer heels. Don't get me wrong, I like them. They enhance your allure."

Kensi looked down at her feet and shrugged. "It's just something girls know how to do."

"For the record, I'm eternally grateful that you're the one wearing them and not me."

Kensi laughed. "That would be a sight to behold."

Callen was speaking now. "Anything unusual, guys?"

"Nada. All quiet on this side," said Deeks.

"Let's hope it stays that way," said Callen.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much for joining us for this very special evening," began Mr. Beckwith at the podium. He paused and stared at someone in the crowd, a look of shock on his face. He cleared his throat. "Pardon me. I've been a little under the weather the last couple days." An aide behind him passed him a bottle of water. He took a quick swallow and made some brief remarks before introducing Dr. Elise Korinth.

She spoke for about 15 minutes about her late father and his love for Egyptology. Then she turned around to cut a large ceremonial red ribbon and open the double doors to the new wing. The applause was robust and the crowd began to press into the first gallery. Exclamations of delight were heard as the priceless artifacts and antiquities were revealed.

"Did you see that?" asked Kensi.

"Yeah. Something's not right," said Deeks. "He recognized someone."

Eric spoke in their ears. "Guys, an hour ago LAPD found a wrecked and abandoned car near the home of Carolyn Pearson, daughter of Ronald and Emily Beckwith. A Trump mask was found in the back seat. It's being processed for DNA and fingerprints as we speak."

"We've been looking at this wrong," said Sam. "It's about Beckwith, not the Korinths or Bradley Webster."

"I think you're right," said Callen.

Eric continued. "There's more. The wrecked car is registered to a Justin Pearson, same address as Carolyn and her black Mercedes is now reported stolen. I'm sending you Justin's picture."

"Kensi, Deeks?"

"We heard. I think Justin's here in the crowd," said Kensi.

Shouts erupted at the front of the gallery. A young man in jeans and a black jacket was waving a gun as he confronted Beckwith. "You think you can lock me up in that place like a dog? I'm your family! I hate you!"

Guests began screaming and running in all directions. Weapons came out as LAPD and NCIS agents tried to get control of the crowd. SECNAV's security detail rushed her out a back entrance. LAPD rounded up Winifred and Elise Korinth and stashed them in a secure office. As if there wasn't enough confusion already, the lights flickered and the gallery went dark. It was several long seconds before the emergency lights came on.

"Justin, it was for your own good. We didn't know how else to help you," wailed Beckwith. He dropped to his knees and started sobbing. "Please don't do anything stupid. Think of your mother. She loves you so much. All of us want what's best for you."

"Listen to him, Justin. Don't make the situation any worse," said Sam. "I don't want to hurt you. See, I'm laying down my weapon." As he placed it on the floor, Callen grabbed Justin from behind and disarmed him. He kicked the weapon toward Sam.

Five seconds before the lights went out, Deeks couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Kensi, look! Obama at your one o'clock."

Kensi was stunned. One of the waiters was pulling on an Obama mask and running into the new wing with a fireman's axe in his hand. "What the hell?"

"Federal agent!" she yelled and they took off after him. He ran around a corner and raised the axe to hack into a long case displaying gold jewelry on loan from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

"Bad idea, dude," yelled Deeks. "The spirits of all those dead Pharaohs are gonna rise up out of their pyramids and bite you in the butt and haunt your dreams."

Without taking her eyes off Obama, Kensi said, "Say what?"

Undeterred, Obama swung twice at the case, but nothing happened. "Shit!" he yelled. Then he threw the axe toward Kensi and Deeks and reached behind his back for a gun.

"Hey!" yelled Kensi. "Drop the weapon!"

"Shut up, bitch!" He fired repeatedly at the case.

"Hey, you moron. That's bulletproof glass," said Deeks. "I'm really tired of this jerk."

"Copy that," agreed Kensi. They fired simultaneously as Obama turned to run deeper into the gallery. He face-planted on the cold marble floor and yelped and writhed in pain. "You bitches hit both sides of my ass!"

"You should be glad we didn't double-tap you in the forehead," said Kensi. Deeks cuffed him and rolled him onto his back. Kensi bent and ripped off the mask. "Would you look at this."

"Well, well. Museum creeper guy."

The guy blinked in surprise. "That's right. You thought we didn't notice you that day, but we did because we're federal agents and that's what we do. Can I get a high-five, Kensi?"

"Oh, yeah." They slapped palms. She looked back to their perp. "Actually, he had a bad feeling about you and I trust him because he's my partner."

Deeks grinned at Kensi. A moment of understanding passed between them. "Thanks, partner."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Justin did fine his first semester in college, then his father died suddenly of a heart attack. After that, everything started unraveling. His grades dropped, he fell in with a bad crowd and started drinking and gambling. He was arrested several times and it was clear he was addicted. His mother was at her wit's end. Finally, we convinced her to get him into rehab. That's where we thought he was."

The crowd had been cleared out and Mr. Beckwith was sitting in his office with Callen and Sam. "I realize it happens in a lot of families so it's really old news."

"He signed himself out five days ago," said Callen.

"The gun he had tonight was not loaded. I think he only wanted to scare you," said Sam.

Mr. Beckwith sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Poor Carolyn. She'll be devastated. And what about the other man. Who is he?"

"Chad Thompson. He was a real estate agent until he was injured in a motorcycle accident and got hooked on opiods. He was in the same rehab facility as your grandson. Apparently, he befriended Justin and between the two of them they hatched the plan to rob you and the museum," said Callen.

"What will happen to Justin now?"

"He's facing several charges, so it's up to the district attorney," said Sam.

In the new wing, EMTs were loading Obama, aka Chad Thompson, onto a stretcher for transport to the hospital.

"You might want to get one of those rubber donuts," said Deeks. "It'll come in handy for the next month or so."

Chad lifted his middle finger in response as the female EMT secured the straps across his body. She looked at Deeks and Kensi and shook her head as she tried not to giggle.

"Good talking to you, Chad. We'll be in touch," continued Deeks. The male EMT was attempting to start an IV, but Chad was not cooperating and unleased a string of profanities.

"Wow. So glad we've handed him off to someone else for a while," said Kensi as Chad was hauled away.

"You got that right." Deeks paused as something occurred to him. He pointed at Kensi. "Exactly where did you have your weapon stashed? It's way too big for that itty-bitty purse."

"That, my friend, is confidential NCIS agent info."

Deeks narrowed his eyes and studied her. "I sense a challenge. Is that a challenge?"

"Maybe when Callen acquires real furniture I'll tell you."

Deeks was clearly baffled. "When Callen acquires . . . I feel I'm missing something here, but I'm terrified to ask."

With a little smirk Kensi said, "Like you told me that day in the armory, give it time, you'll get it."

"Well played," Deeks nodded.

Kensi looked around at all the spectacular items in the new wing. "One day when I have free time, I want to come back and check out all this stuff."

Deeks was studying a statue of Cleopatra and Marc Antony. "Hey, if we ever go to a costume party, we can go as these two. You and Cleo both have the long, dark hair."

"I could see myself as Cleo, but I was thinking of you being the servant boy who fetches me some grapes."

Deeks put a hand to his heart. "Oh, that's cruel."

"Come on, let's get out of here. My feet are killing me," said Kensi.

As they turned the corner, Deeks spied a tray of mostly empty champagne flutes that the caterers had missed. As luck would have it, there were two filled ones left on it. He looked at Kensi. "What do you think? A toast to our first undercover op as partners and a successful one at that?"

Kensi shrugged. "Why not? It would be a shame to let that go to waste."

They clinked glasses and savored the moment. "To future adventures," said Kensi, although she couldn't have said why that popped out of her mouth at that moment. _Something tells me tell there are many adventures ahead with Deeks._

"I guess we have to get back to the Mission and return these spiffy outfits," said Deeks as he looked down at his jacket.

"Actually, when we're out late like this, Hetty is okay with us returning them the next day."

"Okay, but I still have to take you back to your car." For once, Deeks had persuaded Kensi to let him drive. In his mind, he pretended it was a real date, but never in a thousand years would he admit that to her.

When they got back to the Mission, Kensi got out and immediately spotted something wrong. "Dammit."

"What?"

She squatted down as much as her skin-tight dress would allow beside the driver's side front tire. "I've got a stupid flat."

Deeks looked down. "Yep. I would agree that's flat. Don't worry about it. I'll take you home. We can change it in the morning."

"I could change it myself," she said.

"I'm sure you could, but not in that dress," Deeks pointed out.

Suddenly, Kensi felt bone-tired. It had been a long day and her stilettos simply had to come off _right now_. She put a hand on the hood to steady herself as she slipped out of them. They returned to Deeks' car.

"Fine. Let's go."

Kensi leaned her head against the headrest and closed her eyes. "I should just call Uber."

Deeks laughed. "That would never work. You would make the driver slide over while you drove."

"Just go," she said in defeat.

As they approached Kensi's apartment building, they were greeted by the flashing lights of multiple police cruisers and yellow crime scene tape. Residents in bathrobes and pajamas huddled just outside the tape wondering what had happened.

"What's all this?" said Kensi.

Before they could take it all in, the coroner's van pulled in. "Ooh, this is not good," said Deeks. "Do you know who lives on that end?"

"No, I only know Mr. and Mrs. Adams and Mrs. Chang. But some new people moved in about six weeks ago. They appeared to be Russian or Eastern European."

"Are you going to flash your ID and try to breach the crime scene tape?" asked Deeks. "From past experience I can tell you it may be hours before they let folks back in their apartments."

"I don't know," she sighed in frustration.

Several seconds passed. "Just come home with me, Kensi." That earned him another sharp look. "I'm five minutes away."

"You are?"

"Yeah. It's a wonder we never bumped into each other at the grocery store. Oh wait, you don't cook so you wouldn't know what the inside of a grocery store looks like."

"I can cook. A little," she protested.

"Name one thing."

"Brownies."

"Anybody can do brownies from a box," said Deeks. "Look, it's after midnight, we're tired and we have to be back at work in a few hours. I'll take the couch and you can borrow some of my sweats in sleep in because I'm pretty sure Hetty doesn't want you trying to sleep in that dress."

Kensi was looking at him with a scowl. Deeks could practically see the gears turning in her head as she wrestled with the idea.

"I'm not trying to make a move on you," he said. "Well, maybe a little," he grinned.

Kensi hated to admit it, but when he looked at her like that she got a tingly feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Plus, you can meet my roommate."

"You have a roommate?" _I didn't picture him living with someone._

"But he won't be a problem. I'll even make pancakes in the morning. Maybe throw in some chocolate chips," he added as an incentive.

She stared at him for a moment and then came to a decision. "I accept your offer. But only for tonight."

Deeks nodded. "Deal. I had you at pancakes, didn't I?" Had he been able, he would pumped his fist in celebration. Fate had smiled on him tonight.

"Maybe."

"I will be a perfect gentleman," he said. "My only concern is whether or not you'll be a perfect lady."

She leaned over the console and punched his arm.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Wait here a minute," said Deeks. "I should give my roomie a heads-up. He can be kinda messy."

"You're such a neat freak I'm surprised you tolerate that."

"True, but we have an understanding. Don't go anywhere."

Kensi shook her head. "Unlikely at this time of night."

Deeks exited the car and went to his front door. When he unlocked the door, Monty, his retired police dog, looked up from his bed by the couch. Deeks reached down to rub his head.

"Hey buddy, I know it's been a long evening for you. Big news. Kensi's staying with us tonight. You haven't met her yet, but I know you'll like her. Just don't jump up on her and lick her to death, okay? She's all dolled up and might take exception to that."

Monty seemed to nod his head in understanding. _Who is this Kensi person, big guy? Oh well, if you like her, then I like her._

"Okay, I'm bringing her in."

Deeks went to the door and motioned for Kensi to join him. She walked up to the door, stilettos dangling from her fingers. She was curious to see where Deeks lived and to meet this mystery roommate. _At least it's not some girl. Not that it's any of my business._

Monty got up from his bed and stood by Deeks. His tail was wagging. Kensi's eyes immediately went to the dog.

"Kensi, meet Monty. . . my roommate, if you will."

A look of surprise crossed Kensi's face. "Oh, I expected maybe another cop."

"Monty was a K9, a bomb sniffer. He's retired now."

"Oh," said Kensi again. She bent to pat Monty's head. "Always glad to meet another law enforcement professional."

Monty clearly enjoyed the attention and started to put a paw on Kensi's leg. "Monty! Remember what I said. Don't overwhelm Kensi," warned Deeks.

Monty whined and sat down. _I like this Kensi. She smells nice._

"So . . . you don't live with a human roommate," said Kensi.

"There's no female who lives with us, if that's what you're really asking," said Deeks with a knowing smile.

 _Busted_ , thought Kensi. "Your personal life is none of my concern." She was striving for indifference and failing miserably.

"But you want it to be." _That's right, Kensi. I've got your number._

Kensi just looked at him. She resented that he could read her so well. "I'm tired and I'm reconsidering calling that Uber."

"No, you're not." He grabbed her hand. "Come on. Bedroom's this way."

Naturally, the king-size bed was made up and everything was tidy. The closet door was ajar and Kensi could see that all the clothes were hung neatly and the shelves were in order. In the dirty clothes basket, she saw the green plaid shirt he'd worn two days ago. She remembered how the ketchup on his hamburger had squirted out on the front of it when they were having lunch at the beach.

He pulled out the top drawer of his dresser. "Tee shirts and sweat pants. Clean, of course. Take your pick."

Kensi picked up the top tee shirt. It was pale blue with "LAPD" written in black. "I guess you really are a cop," she joked.

"Or maybe I got it off eBay."

"Right. Since you're such a big online shopper."

"Okay, I'll get my stuff and leave it to you." He grabbed the pajama pants lying on the bed and one of the pillows. "Sweet dreams," he called over his shoulder as he closed the bedroom door behind him.

Kensi stared at the back of the door for a few seconds. _Deeks' bedroom. It's surreal actually being here._

She stepped into the small bathroom. It was spotless and one striped towel hung on the rod. She checked over her shoulder. She didn't want Deeks suddenly coming back into the room. Curiosity drove her to peek inside the medicine cabinet. There were the usual items: aspirin, band-aids, a bar of soap, razors, an extra toothbrush. She picked up the toothbrush and was shocked. "Compliments of Dr. Stanley Millan" was on the label.

 _We have the same dentist?_ Her jaw dropped. _Okay, Dr. Millan is only a few blocks from here. Or maybe an old girlfriend left it._

This was beyond weird. She shook herself. _Not going to think about this now._

She reached back to unzip her dress. Nothing moved. She tried again. Still nothing. _No . . . no! This cannot be happening._ She squirmed and tugged, but to no avail. She paused and sucked in a breath. _Okay, I can do this. I will not be defeated by a stupid zipper that must have escaped quality control in China._

She tried once more, but it was still stuck. She sighed. The dress was too tight to wiggle out of without unzipping it at least a little. She clinched her fists. "Damn." She looked at the closed bedroom door. Unfortunately, there was only one solution.

"Deeks?"

"Yeah?"

"My zipper's stuck. Get in here!"

"Seriously?"

"No, I'm making a joke. Yes, get in here _this minute_!"

In the living room, Deeks had already changed into his pajama pants. He ran a hand through his hair and looked at Monty. "Did she say what I _thought_ she said?"

 _Yes! Undressing Kensi Blye. Like I haven't dreamed of this a hundred times._

He picked up his tuxedo and headed for the bedroom. Kensi stood there with hands on hips and a frustrated look on her face. "Give me a sec to take care of this," he said. "I can't let Hetty down." He proceeded to take his time hanging up the shirt, jacket and pants.

"Yet you let your partner stand here stuck in her dress." Sam's comment about the new guy being distracting came back to her. Except now it was the new guy's bare chest that was distracting. Tan and toned, it was quite impressive. She wanted to glide her fingers over all those smooth muscles. She expected some flexing of the biceps at any moment.

"Don't worry, we'll figure it out," he said soothingly. "Turn around."

He grasped the top of the fabric to inspect it. "Your hands are cold!" gasped Kensi.

"Sorry. Okay, I see the problem. Part of it jumped the track. Maybe I can work some magic on it. I'm not called 'Marty the Manipulator' for nothing."

"The Manipulator? Ugh! That sounds faintly obscene."

Deeks laughed. "Your assessment, not mine."

"Careful. Hetty will put both of us on desk duty if you rip it."

"Why? It's just a dress. I'm sure it could be repaired."

"It's not _just a dress._ You men know nothing. It's an expensive designer dress."

"Well, when you put it that way. . ." His voice trailed off as he concentrated on the zipper.

After what seemed like an eternity, Deeks announced, "Got it!" He began pulling the zipper down. Then he froze. "Wait. Are you, uh, you know, wearing anything under this designer dress?"

"Maybe, maybe not," replied Kensi with a twitch of her hips.

Deeks' fatigue vanished. "So, that's how it's gonna be. Maybe it's Kensi _au naturel_." He slid the zipper all the way down with a whoosh and glimpsed the top of a red lace thong.

Kensi shrieked. "That's enough, Deeks. You may return to the living room now."

"Glad that question's been answered. It would have worried me all night long. See, it's a good thing you decided to stay here. Otherwise, I would have had to make an emergency house call to extricate you."

"Or I could have called the fire department."

"Not exactly their area of expertise, but I'm sure they would have enjoyed the experience. They might even have asked you to be Miss October on their calendar."

"Leave!" She tried to shoo him out.

"I'm going," he laughed. Yet he stood there ogling her as she tried to hold up the bodice to keep her boobs from springing out.

"Now, Deeks!"

"Going . . . going . . . gone," he said as he slowly backed out of the bedroom. Kensi rushed over and slammed the door.

"My next-door neighbor probably heard that," said Deeks.

"Don't care," Kensi responded.

"Okay, then. Good night, princess."

"Yeah, good night," she mumbled.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Kensi slipped into the tee shirt and sweat pants. Both were soft and well-worn, with a light scent of fabric softener. There was something intimate in the knowledge that these items had touched Deeks' skin and were now touching hers. Her nipples tightened at the thought.

 _Maybe I'm over-analyzing this because I'm tired. Deeks would probably laugh at me._

She turned out the light and climbed into bed. The sheets were soft and smelled of detergent and _him. Must. Go. To. Sleep. Now._

But after tossing and turning for a while, Kensi got up and crept toward the kitchen. One of the floor boards squeaked and she halted. _Why didn't I notice that earlier?_ She saw that Deeks was tossing and turning on the couch, trying unsuccessfully to get comfortable. The couch was simply not made for a tall guy like him. Even Monty was restless, softly whining and turning around and around in his bed. _What is wrong with everybody tonight? Oh right, I've interrupted their routine._

She started to open the refrigerator. The door creaked and Deeks turned his head slightly. "Everything okay?"

"I'm thirsty," she said.

He stifled a yawn. "There's water and maybe some orange juice in there."

"Thanks."

She took a bottle of water and downed a couple swigs. Once more she watched as Deeks tried to get situated for sleep. He sighed as he doubled the pillow and turned on his other side. "If you're looking for donuts, you're totally out of luck," he said.

"How did you know I was still here? And for the record, I'm not looking for donuts."

Deeks chuckled. "Because you haven't hit that squeaky spot again."

She shifted from foot to foot and chewed on her bottom lip. _This may be a bad idea, but it wouldn't be the first bad idea I've ever had. May as well blurt it out._

"Deeks?"

"Mmm?"

"Come to bed."

That got his attention immediately. He half sat up and grinned. "Could you repeat that?"

"You heard me."

"I did, but I need clarification."

Kensi sighed. "It is your bed after all and it's big enough. There's no reason you shouldn't sleep in it."

"With you? As in you and I sleeping together?" He could hardly contain his excitement.

"Sleeping _only_ ," she said emphatically. "Unless you want to keep flopping around there. You stay on your side and I'll stay on my side. We can build a pillow wall, if that makes you feel better."

She was starting down a slippery slope with Deeks - staying overnight, wearing his clothes, sharing his bed. Where it would all lead? What would Tiffani, Lauren, Joanna and Tiffany say?

 _I know exactly what they would say: Go for it and we want details!_

Kensi was losing patience. "Well, what's it gonna be? You have five more seconds, then the offer is off the table."

Deeks pretended to think about it. He rubbed his chin and looked around the living room.

"I don't know why you're stalling. You know you want to do it."

Finally, he said, "I'll risk it." He slowly got to his feet and grabbed his pillow. "You're right. My back is already cramping." He bent over and massaged it with one hand.

"Chivalry can be hard," said Kensi. She made a point to step over the squeaky spot as they made their way back to the bedroom.

They laid down and Deeks breathed a sigh of relief. "Ah, this is so much better. I love my bed. Thanks for inviting me to sleep here."

Kensi drew the comforter up and turned on her side away from him. "It's the least I could do since you got me out of that dress. Hold on, that has an ominous sound."

Deeks laughed. "I get you." There was no further mention of a pillow "wall."

Monty had ambled in and curled up in front of the closet. _Enough talking, you two. Go to sleep. I'm exhausted just listening to your lips flapping._

"Goodnight, Deeks."

"Sleep well, Kensalina."

Kensi rolled back over facing him. "What is it with you and these nicknames?"

"You require different names because you have many facets."

Kensi considered that for a moment. "Oh, like a diamond?"

"Yeah, a diamond in the rough." He gave a snarky laugh.

"I think I take offense to that."

"Don't. It only means you have more facets to me to chisel out."

Without warning, Kensi snatched up her pillow and pinned it against Deeks' chest. "So, you're going to chisel me out, wear me down. Is that it?"

He smiled up at her. Kensi was strong, but he was bigger and stronger. He flipped her over on her back and tossed the pillow aside. "Think of how much fun that will be."

A nearby car alarm blared and they both flinched. He was two seconds away from kissing Kensi, but now the moment was ruined. He rolled off her and threw an arm across his eyes.

"Oh, come on, Claude!"

Kensi drew a ragged breath. She knew he was about to kiss her and she was eagerly awaiting it. "Who . . . who's Claude?"

"My neighbor. He manages a bakery. Always leaves in the middle of the freaking night."

"Bakery. Wow, I'd like to meet him."

"We'll go sometime. You'd love it. Cases full of chocolate goodies."

Kensi retrieved her pillow. "Okay, goodnight . . . again."

"Yeah." He put his hands behind his head. _This is definitely a first. A hot babe in my bed and we really are just sleeping together. But it's fine. We'll get to the other stuff eventually. For now, I have to play Kensi slowly and gently, like a Stradivarius._

He closed his eyes and promptly drifted off.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

A cell phone buzzed by Deeks' head. He slapped his hand around on the nightstand trying to locate the annoying device.

"Yeah?" he mumbled.

"Case on deck," announced Eric. "Wait, you're not Kensi."

Beale sounded too chirpy for this early hour. Deeks swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up. It was 5:20 a.m. "No . . . no, I'm not." In the dim light he looked again at the phone. "Oh man, I have Kensi's phone . . . so she must have picked up mine in the confusion of last night."

He ran his free hand through his already unruly hair. Of course, Kensi's phone was in here because his was still on the coffee table. In his eagerness to join her in bed, he'd failed to bring it with him.

"No problem. I'll call _your_ phone to alert _her_ ," said Eric.

"No, no, that's okay. I'll call her. You're probably really busy there in Ops. We're on it, uh, I mean _I'm_ on it," he mumbled. " _I'm_ on it. On the case. Right."

In spite of being in a strange bed, Kensi had slept well. She rolled over and stretched under the covers. "What's going on?" Then she realized Deeks was talking to someone on the phone.

 _Wait! That's my phone._

On the other end of the phone, Eric has momentarily stunned. He definitely heard a female voice and his eyes widened. It was muffled, but sounded suspiciously like Kensi.

"Okey, dokey. Um, I will see you guys . . . soon." _Shouldn't be too hard to call Kensi since she's right there beside you. Deeks has only been here a couple months and he and Kensi are already . . . together?_

Eric wished there was someone in Ops right now with whom he could discuss this juicy development. He spun his chair around and glanced with dismay at his fellow techies: Paul, Joey and Kwan. They were huddled together analyzing some obscure data point. They were excellent at their jobs, but sadly were lacking in the social skills department. Only yesterday when Kensi was in Ops, they stopped what they were doing to unashamedly drool over her. Then Eric had to call them on it:

" _Guys, really? Can you stop staring at Kensi? I need you to check that traffic cam video, like pronto. Besides, only Deeks is allowed to stare at Kensi."_

" _Why?" asked Joey, genuinely perplexed._

" _Traffic cam video. Now, people!" Eric sighed and rolled his eyes._

"Come on, Sleeping Beauty. We have a case," said Deeks to a yawning Kensi.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Another one already?"

"Yikes!" said Deeks.

"What?'

"Your hair. It's all . . . wild and wooly," said Deeks and pointed at her head.

She frowned. "Yeah, well, yours isn't much better."

"It's called _styled by pillow_ ," said Deeks.

"That's the stupidest excuse I've ever heard. Come on, we have to swing by my apartment so I can get some real clothes."

"Yeah, the guys would question why you're wearing an LAPD shirt. Okay, let me get a quick shower," said Deeks. Monty jumped up and started barking and looking from one to the other.

"Fine, I'll take Monty out while you get ready." Kensi gathered up their evening wear and took it to the living room.

By the time Kensi and Monty returned, Deeks was dressed and pouring dog food into Monty's bowl. "Woof, woof!" There was never this much excitement in the mornings when it was only Deeks. He pawed at Deeks' pant leg.

Deeks looked down and patted his head. "Sorry, Monty. We don't have time to throw the ball around this morning."

 _Not that. Can we adopt her? You could say she followed you home. I hope she doesn't have a chip._

"Okay, your phone, my phone," she said as she checked them. "Do you think Eric heard me?"

They had another one of those moments as their eyes held. "Oh, I'm sure he heard. But don't worry about it. He's not going to tell Hetty or Callen. Anyway, what happens at home, stays at home."

"Because nothing happened," said Kensi in an effort to reassure herself.

"Unfortunately," said Deeks with a smirk.

Kensi punched his arm. "Don't be a pig."

"I'm just being a guy."

"Well, don't be."

"Would you rather I be a girl?"

"Right now, I would rather you be a _silent_ partner."

"Okay, but one thing before I go radio-silent."

Kensi looked at him expectantly. "What?"

"In the future, it wouldn't hurt to stash some clothes here for situations like last night."

"Won't be necessary. Last night was an anomaly."

"But you never know when an anomaly will occur," said Deeks. "You know, like an earthquake."

 **The Mission**

Callen arrived first and immediately noticed Kensi's car and the flat tire. _No doubt there's an interesting story behind this._

Sam pulled up and said, "Kensi beat us here?"

Callen pointed to the tire. "Not unless she parachuted in."

"Right. I would only expect that of Hetty," laughed Sam.

Two minutes later, Kensi and Deeks arrived. They ran in and dumped the evening clothes on their desks before going up to Ops. "We can hang them up later," said Deeks.

"What do you have, Eric?" asked Callen when everybody reached Ops.

"Late last night there was an incident at the Crimea Café involving two marines and their dates. According to witnesses, there was some loud disagreement with the waiter and the couples were thrown out.

"Crimea Café. Isn't Arkady . . ."

Callen nodded. "Yes, Arkady is one of the owners. He might be just a silent partner, I'm not sure."

Kensi cut her eyes to Deeks, daring him to make a flippant remark. To his credit, he didn't open his mouth.

"They didn't like the borscht?" asked Sam.

"If it were only that simple," said Eric. "Apparently, the marines took their dates home, went back to the scene and waited until the waiter got off work. Then they followed him home and beat him to a pulp." Eric brought up a video of the poor guy as the EMTs were loading him into the ambulance.

"Oh my word," gasped Kensi when she saw the man's bloody, swollen face.

"There's more," said Eric and looked at Kensi. "Our victim is Vladimir Starnoff, age 26, who goes by _Vick_ since he came to America. He recently moved into an apartment in your complex, Kensi."

She exchanged a look with Deeks. "So, that's what was happening last night."

"You knew about this?" asked Callen.

"Sort of. Let me back up. When we got back here last night, I saw that I had a flat. Deeks drove me home, but the cops had my building blocked off. We didn't know what was going on, so I ended up going to, uh, to a friend's house."

Callen studied her for a moment. _You mean you went home with Deeks._ "Okay, why don't you and Deeks go to Starnoff's apartment and see what you can learn. Sam and I will pay Arkady an early visit."

"Arkady's a friend of yours?" asked Deeks.

"Not really, but he can be useful from time to time," said Callen. "He's former KGB."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

It was late in the afternoon and the day had been less than productive. When Callen and Sam went to Arkady's sprawling mansion, his housekeeper said he was in Moscow visiting family. "Which probably means he's brokering some deal we'd rather not know about," said Callen flatly.

"Which means sometime in the future it will cross our path," said Sam.

Later, trying to squeeze information out of the staff at the Crimea Café yielded bizarre, conflicting stories.

"Vick was hitting on the girls," said one.

"No way. He was only complimenting them on their dresses. His mother's a seamstress so he knows clothes," said another.

When Kensi and Deeks interviewed Starnoff's neighbors, who were also Kensi's neighbors, the only thing everybody agreed on was there was a lot of shouting and fists flying, then a car peeled out of the parking lot leaving a bloody and bruised victim on the pavement.

"Hey, aren't you that lady cop who lives on the other end of the building?" asked Starnoff's cousin and roommate, Igor. He eyed Kensi with interest. "I've seen you out running."

"Actually, I'm an NCIS Special Agent," said Kensi.

"What's that?"

Kensi explained briefly. "I get it. A Navy cop," said Igor.

"Sure. A Navy cop," said Kensi.

Igor glanced at Deeks. "Are you one, too?"

"I'm an LAPD detective."

"You better find the jerks who did this to my cousin before I do and mess them up bad."

Afterwards, they met Sam and Callen at the hospital, but Starnoff was still in recovery after having his jaw and eye socket repaired. "The surgeon said we'd have to wait until tomorrow to talk to him," said Sam. "They're keeping him sedated until then."

Callen and Sam had departed a few minutes ago. Kensi and Deeks told themselves they were doing paperwork, but Hetty would not have viewed it as such. Deeks was tapping and twirling his pencil while Kensi stared at him.

 _She sees me, but she doesn't. Otherwise, she would be complaining._

After a minute, Kensi sighed and frowned. "I didn't get my pancakes this morning."

Deeks leaned back in his chair and rubbed his belly. "Yeah, that was a shame." _Of course, food. Kensi is motivated by food. I can use this to my advantage._

A plan was forming in his mind. "Tell you what, you could come over tonight and we'll do breakfast for dinner. Besides pancakes, we can have scrambled eggs, some of those little sausages and bacon. I love bacon. You should know that about your partner." He paused and hoped she would take the bait. "Unless you have other plans."

Kensi's mouth watered and without realizing it, she licked her lips. "Uh, no. At least nothing I can't reschedule." She had an appointment with her couch, a pile of fashion and gossip magazines, and a pint of salted caramel ice cream. Then she would order a pizza or something. The prospect of another evening with Deeks - and food - sounded like a way better option. She could read trashy magazines another time.

But she had to maintain control of the situation. "I'm not staying over," she said firmly.

 _Wait for it. Any second now, he'll come up with half a dozen reasons why I should stay._

"No problem. Dinner only. Maybe some bad TV we can mock. It's probably just as well since you kept kicking me last night. Are you always so wild in bed?"

"Don't worry. You can have your bed all to yourself tonight."

"I mean, I don't mind sharing it with you, but there have to be some boundaries."

Kensi's eyes narrowed and she lobbed a pen at him. He ducked and it slid under the credenza behind him. "You don't even know the meaning of a boundary. You're always trying to get in my business," she said.

A few steps away, Eric was coming out of the burn room after dumping a stack of papers. When he heard Kensi and Deeks' conversation, his eyes grew wide and he stopped dead in the middle of the corridor. He was far enough away to remain hidden, yet still hear them clearly. He envied their easy, well mostly easy, partnership. Sometimes things got a bit testy, but Deeks just rolled with it.

Deeks laughed. "Now, now, that's your empty stomach talking. Let's get out of here. We can finish this stuff tomorrow."

Drawers opened and paperwork was shoved inside. Then chairs pushed back as they prepared to leave. Eric didn't want them to catch him eavesdropping, yet his feet felt like lead. _Must. Move. Now._ Luckily, the supply closet was across the hall so he quietly back-tracked into it.

"I need to get some things at the store for our breakfast buffet," said Deeks.

"Goodnight, Eric," called Kensi as they walked by.

"What's happening, Beale?" asked Deeks.

Eric jumped when they spoke. "Nothing, nada, zip. The printer needed paper."

Deeks pointed to his hand. "Oh-kay, but that's paperclips."

Eric looked down at the box in his hand as if seeing it for the first time. "Uh, yeah. I need those, too."

"Glad we're on the same page about office supplies," said Deeks.

Eric swallowed and pushed at his glasses. "Right. And now I'm going to get that paper."

"Good plan," said Kensi.

"What's with him?" asked Deeks when they had moved closer to the exit.

Kensi shrugged. "Too much caffeine?"

"Or not enough Cocoa Puffs. He needs to step away from those computer screens for a while, maybe find a girlfriend."

Kensi halted and grabbed Deeks' forearm. "He overheard us."

"So? You're becoming paranoid about this. I'm going to have one of those banners made that says "Kensi and Deeks slept together" and string it across the entrance. Then there's no more speculation."

Kensi gasped and punched his arm. "You're disgusting!"

"Why? I'm sure we're not the first agents to get together in the Office of Special Projects."

"We're not _together_ ," insisted Kensi.

Deeks said nothing, but gave her a little smile.

"I'm not sure I want to have breakfast with you," said Kensi with a pout.

Deeks slung an arm around her shoulders. "Sure you do. Otherwise, you'd eat microwave popcorn for dinner and go to bed in a grumpy mood. I mean, _grumpier_ mood."

She tugged on his messenger bag strap. "I'm not only a trained sniper; I could strangle you with this strap."

Deeks threw back his head and laughed. "But you won't. You keep me on my toes. That's what I love about you, Kensalina."

Eric heard the laughter and cautiously peeked out from the supply room. _They are definitely an item._

After a quick stop at the grocery store, they arrived at Deeks' apartment. Monty greeted them at the door, jumping around and barking. _Yeah, Kensi's back! I knew she'd come back._

In no time, Deeks was working on the pancakes and bacon. Kensi was impressed how adept and organized he was in the kitchen. "Don't forget my chocolate chips," she said.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he said. "The bag is in that cabinet over your head. Can you grab it for me?"

Kensi retrieved the bag, opened it and popped a handful of chips in her mouth.

Deeks looked at her. "Really? You couldn't wait for the finished product?"

"Nope. I've been thinking about this all day."

"Is that right?" He pointed his spatula at her. "How are those eggs and sausages?"

"Almost done. Did you buy the chocolate chips just for me?"

"No, I like them, too. Why? Did you think you were somebody special?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"I don't know. I can't think straight when I'm hungry."

"Kensi, watch out! Those eggs are about to burn."

Monty barked and Kensi yelped as she turned off the burner. "Monty, why didn't you warn me?"

 _Are you kidding? I was waiting for the big guy to drop a piece of bacon._

"I need to hurry up and feed you before you burn down my apartment," chuckled Deeks.

They loaded their plates and even though Deeks had a small kitchen table, Kensi automatically gravitated to the couch. "You don't want to sit at the table?" he asked.

"I'm used to the couch," she said as she plopped down and unfolded a paper napkin.

"Okay, couch it is. Why mess up a deeply ingrained habit?"

"Mmm. Delicious," Kensi mumbled around a mouthful of pancakes. The food quickly disappeared off their plates and they were back in the kitchen for seconds.

"Do you need more syrup?" asked Deeks. The bottle was poised in his hand. Kensi shook her head. "I'm good. What I really need is a decent guy who can cook."

She looked at Deeks in shock. _What I did NOT need to do was verbalize that thought._

He grinned. "No, you don't. You already have a guy who can cook. Whether he's decent or not, well, that could be up for discussion. Monty here thinks I'm pretty decent. Right, boy?" He tossed a slice of bacon and Monty jumped up and scarfed it down.

 _Awkward, Kensi. Open mouth, insert foot._

Fortunately for her, Deeks got a text at that moment. He picked up the phone and tapped out a short response.

"That wasn't Eric, was it?"

"No, thank goodness. My buddy Rocco reminding me of the new location of our basketball game." He laid the phone down. "That means you'll be on your own tomorrow night."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Not at all. But you have to admit, it's more fun when we're together," said Deeks. Then he winked at her.

"Says who?"

"I do," said Deeks. "But it might be dangerous to start a new deeply ingrained habit of being together _every_ night."

Kensi's eyes rolled up. "I couldn't agree more. Come on, I'll help you clean up, then I have to go." She was beginning to feel sluggish. If she kept sitting there, she would be asleep in no time on Deeks' shoulder. Again.

The dishes were done, the kitchen cleaned up and now Kensi was at the front door with her purse on her shoulder. "Well, thanks for _breakfast for dinner_. I'm stuffed."

"Me, too."

They stood there, staring at each other like they had nothing at all to say. _Why isn't he badgering me about spending the night? Is he wanting me to make a move?_

"Okay, I will see you in the morning," said Kensi. She opened the door.

"Yeah. Tomorrow," said Deeks with a smile. _That's right, Kensi. I'm going to let you decide how we play this little game._


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

When she got home, Kensi changed into Deeks' sweats and tee shirt. _I don't think you'll get these back, Detective._

After getting comfortable on the couch, she opened her laptop. For several days, she'd been thinking about this. A few keystrokes pulled up "L.A. Luv," the dating website where she had a profile.

She only went on two boring first dates from the site and that was "B.D." Before Deeks. The first guy yammered on endlessly about his exotic cars and the second guy was more interested in the fact that she carried a firearm. He even wanted to hold her SIG-Sauer. No way in hell would that have ever happened. She shuddered just remembering those losers. They were cute, but losers nonetheless.

 _It's time._ She located the "delete profile" button and hit it. Instantly, a box popped up asking, "Are you sure you want to delete your profile?"

"One-hundred percent sure," she said aloud.

It was amazing to think that two months ago she didn't even know Deeks existed, much less that he lived so close. But she wasn't exactly sure how to define their relationship beyond the obvious title of "work partners."

 _You're starting to think of him as something more. However, getting cozy with a co-worker could be risky and ultimately heartbreaking. Do I want to go there?_

She looked down at what she was wearing. _Seems I'm already pretty cozy._

Confusion and fatigue threatened to overwhelm her. She yawned and closed the laptop. She was loath to sleep alone in her bed so she curled up on the couch instead.

 **Deeks' Apartment**

After Kensi left, Monty wandered aimlessly from room to room. Finally, he stopped in front of Deeks, who was sitting on the couch with his laptop on the coffee table. He stared at Deeks and whined.

"Do you have to go out again? You went out 5 minutes ago." Monty whined once more, but did not move.

"You miss Kensi, don't you? I miss her, too. But I can't push her too hard. Don't worry, she likes us so she'll be back."

Monty appeared to be satisfied with that explanation and crawled into his bed. Deeks sat there and puzzled over something. Kensi said she needed a "decent guy who can cook." Somehow that sounded familiar. _Where have I heard that?_

A memory hit him like a thunderbolt. _No. Could it be?_ Deeks had a deep-dark secret that he could never reveal to anybody: he was on a dating website. Sure, usually women were throwing themselves at him. But after a crazy ex-girlfriend started stalking him and he took out a restraining order, he was feeling pissed off at women in general. One night, he thought _why the hell not?_

He signed up on "L. A. Luv" and flagged one profile that sounded interesting. He couldn't remember everything about it, but the woman said she was in public safety, liked yoga, swimming, working out, pizza and chocolate.

 _Doesn't every woman like chocolate?_

She concluded by stating she couldn't cook, but was looking for a "decent guy who can." Public safety could cover a myriad of jobs. He hoped it wasn't someone from LAPD. How embarrassing would that have been?

Then he basically forgot about it. He got a new undercover assignment with LAPD and encountered Kensi in that MMA gym. When he learned she was one of the good guys, his brain screamed _game over!_

The facts fit perfectly with Kensi so it must be a good omen. _What was that profile name? Oh yeah, "KayBee." Really, Kensi? Not very original. I'm surprised you didn't call yourself "PistolPackingMama" or something kick-ass like that._

His fingers typed frantically trying to find her profile, but it wasn't there anymore. He thought about that for a few minutes. _Why? Is it because she's found that decent guy who can cook?_ He smiled to himself.

"Monty, you won't believe what I've discovered."

No comment was forthcoming from the corner because Monty was asleep. Finally, Deeks logged off and got up to go to bed. He rubbed the left side of his back. _Probably sat there hunched over too long._

 **4:45 a.m.**

Kensi was jarred awake by her phone. She picked it up and saw the picture of Deeks. She'd surreptitiously snapped it last week while he was reading a file at his desk.

"Deeks, what is it?"

"I think . . . I think I have a kidney stone." There was a pause as she heard him suck in a deep breath. "Dammit."

"Kidney stone? For real?"

"For real. I had one a couple years ago and, ugh, I'm having the same kind of pain. It's like I'm about to give birth to one of those Easter Island boulders."

Kensi grimaced. "I didn't need to hear that."

"Can . . . can you drive me to the E. R.?"

"E.R. Right. I'm leaving now." She rammed her feet into sneakers and grabbed a hoodie.

 **The E. R.**

Kensi drove as fast as she could without breaking any laws. However, when one red light held an obscenely long time, she slid on through the intersection. When she reached Deeks' apartment, he was standing outside holding a small basin.

"You're not going to be sick, are you?" she asked.

"I hope not, but better to be prepared." He leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes.

"Okay, everything will be fine," she said and patted his thigh. Then she snatched her hand back as if she'd been scalded. _Why did I do that?_

As luck would have it, one of Deeks' favorite nurses, Carla, was on duty and it was relatively quiet at this early hour.

"Marty, you poor boy," exclaimed Carla as she fussed over him. "You need to change into his gown and then you're off to radiology for an abdominal x-ray to see if we can locate the stone."

"I'll step out here," said Kensi as she pulled the curtain aside.

"You're lucky to have a good partner like Kensi," whispered Carla. "You better treat her right."

"I . . . I know," gasped Deeks as another spasm of pain washed over him.

When he was ready, a transporter came to take him to radiology. "Kensi, you can go with him, if you like," said Carla.

"I can?"

Carla gave her a warm smile. "I'm positive Marty would feel better if you went."

If the situation had been reserved, Kensi knew, without question, she would have called Deeks for help rather than one of her girlfriends. As much as she loved her friends, they weren't especially good in emergencies.

Take the time Lauren was house sitting for her brother. She called 911 in the middle of the night because she thought someone was breaking in. It turned out to be a chubby raccoon trying to squeeze through the cat door.

 _I'm sure the cops had a good laugh about that. There might even be a video of it on the internet._

 **Radiology Department**

"Hi, Mr. Deeks. I'm Todd. I'm going to do your x-ray," said a cheerful young man in tan scrubs.

Deeks got out of the wheelchair and Kensi noted two things: he wore black boxer briefs and had a scar on the left side of his back. _Why do men not care if they flash the whole world?_

Todd positioned Deeks and said, "Mrs. Deeks, you can step back here with me."

Kensi was so shocked her jaw dropped. "Uh, okay. But, uh, I'm just a friend."

Todd shrugged. "Sure."

Kensi felt like banging her head against the wall. _Of course, it doesn't matter to Todd who I am. I wonder if Deeks heard that or is he in too much pain?_

"Hey Todd, you'll see some bullet fragments in there. I'm a cop," called Deeks from the room.

The digital image popped up on the monitor. "Yep, I see them," said Todd.

"What about the stone?" asked Kensi anxiously.

"Oh, that's for the radiologist to determine. Come on, let's get you back to Carla."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Deeks was lying down on his stretcher, moaning and groaning, when Carla approached with the ER doctor.

"Mr. Deeks, I'm Dr. Wagner. The radiologist has identified one stone in your left ureter, the tube leading from the kidney to the bladder. It's about half-way down. We can send you home with pain meds and a urine strainer or we can start an IV and try to flush it down sooner."

No position was comfortable and Deeks twisted and turned restlessly. Kensi took his hand to offer comfort. "What do you want to do?"

Another spasm hit him. "Uh, I . . . I don't know."

"I think we should stay here," said Kensi finally. "He'll be insufferable at home."

Dr. Wagner smiled. "That's what my wife would say, too. Very well, Carla will get you set up. I'll check back with you later."

"Okay, Marty. Show me that good vein," said Carla as she gathered supplies. Deeks stuck out his right arm. "Wow, that's a pipeline."

"Don't hurt me, Carla. I'm already in enough pain."

"Like you law enforcement folks say, copy that."

A short time later, the IV was flowing and the pain medicine had kicked in. Deeks was sleeping while Kensi stared anxiously at him. She had no experience being a caregiver, unless you counted the pet turtle she had when she was six. She was more accustomed to dealing with weapons and ammo and bad dudes.

 _But I can do this. After all, it's for Deeks._

Carla opened the curtain a little but stopped when she noticed Kensi straightening Deeks' sheet and pulling it up. Then she gently rubbed his forehead and pushed the hair out of his eyes. Carla nodded in approval.

 _This one's good for him. Big improvement over that bimbo he was dating a few months back._

Kensi pulled out her phone. She needed to let Callen and Sam know what was going on.

"Kens, talk to me," said Callen. He and Sam were returning from an early morning run.

"I'm in the E.R."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm fine; Deeks, not so much."

"What? Did you finally get a belly-full of his shenanigans and hurt him?" laughed Sam.

"Oh, he's hurting all right. He has a kidney stone."

Sam's tone immediately changed as he was assailed by an unpleasant memory. "Oh man. Been there, done that and got the tee shirt. I was so grouchy I thought Michelle was going to divorce me before I passed that sucker. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy."

"Even Arkady?" asked Callen with a smirk.

"It's about fifty-fifty for that snake."

"Okay, stay with Deeks and keep us posted," said Callen to Kensi. He disconnected and looked at Sam. "You mean to tell me a big, bad ex-Navy SEAL wimped out?"

Sam narrowed his eyes at him. "See if I have any sympathy for you if you ever have a kidney stone. That's something guaranteed to make a grown man cry."

"Duly noted."

The hustle and bustle of the E.R. floated around Kensi as she sat by Deeks' side. Several car accident victims were brought in as well as an elderly woman with a possible heart attack.

Carla stuck her head in. "How's our patient?"

"Seems to be okay at the moment," said Kensi. "At least he's not talking my ear off."

As soon as she said that, Deeks rolled over and sat up. "How long was I out?"

"A good while," said Kensi. "How do you feel?"

"Like my bladder is about to burst. Where's that strainer?" He glanced at the small bedside table.

"Here you go," said Carla and thrust it into his hand. "Do you feel like walking to the bathroom? It's only a few steps."

"Yeah, I got this."

"Hey Carla, does CCU have a bed yet for that patient?" someone called out from the desk.

"Don't know. I'll have to call them again."

"We're good," said Kensi. "I'll help him over there."

"Can you do me a favor?" asked Kensi when they reached the bathroom.

"What?"

"Tie the back of this gown. Or do you want the whole E. R. to see your butt hanging out?"

"No. Only you. Thought you might appreciate the view," said Deeks with a touch of his usual sass.

"Someone's feeling better. Now get in there before I kick your butt," huffed Kensi. She shut the door firmly behind him and leaned her back against the wall.

A couple minutes later, she heard a flush and the door opened. "Success! Kensi, look."

Kensi was horrified. "I'll pass."

"Hah! Good one. I'm the one who passed . . . a kidney stone! Come on, look at it. Kensi! Aren't you a little curious?"

"No. Stop it! That's gross," she gasped and tried to ease away.

"No, it's not. Don't be chicken."

"You're not going to let up, are you?"

"Of course not," he smiled.

Finally, she ventured a peek. The stone was barely a speck in the strainer. "That's it? That little thing caused all this uproar?"

"I know, right? Hard to believe," agreed Deeks.

"Hard to believe that's what got me out of bed before dawn."

"Yeah that and your concern for your awesome partner." Suddenly, he grabbed the door handle. "Whoa."

"What's wrong?"

"Dizzy."

"Don't you fall out on me," she said. She took his arm with one hand and the IV pole with the other and guided him back to the stretcher. "I'm gonna find Carla."

"You should take it easy the rest of the day," said Carla as she took out the IV. "And stay hydrated."

"Yes, ma'am. Don't want a repeat performance even though I do love your smiling face."

"Always a smooth talker, aren't you?" she laughed. "You can get dressed while I finish your discharge paperwork."

"Great." Deeks shucked off his gown and reached for his jeans.

"You couldn't wait for me to step away?" asked Kensi.

"Why? What's the big deal? You could just squeeze your eyes shut if you don't want to check me out," grinned Deeks.

Kensi gave up a sigh and turned her back. "My e-mail is what needs checking out."

 _I've already checked you out, Marty Deeks. And it's a damn fine view._


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Carla rolled a wheelchair up and stopped in front of Deeks. "I can walk," he said.

Carla gave him the look she undoubtedly used when her grandkids were bad or pleaded for extra cookies. "You know the drill, Marty. Hospital policy."

"Deeks, sit your butt down," said Kensi and pointed to the chair. "Don't be one of those cantankerous patients."

Deeks rolled his eyes. "Fine. Wouldn't want _cantankerous_ going in my chart. That might spoil my stellar reputation."

Kensi sighed and shook her head. "Just for that, you can hold this." She dropped her purse in his lap.

"Really? Do I have to?" he whined. "And what's in this thing? A bowling ball? You barely missed the family jewels."

"Carla, thanks for taking care of my knucklehead partner. You see what I deal with every day. But I'll keep an eye on him, as long as he doesn't whine too much."

Carla laughed. "I know you will, sweetie."

On the drive home Kensi could feel Deeks watching her. At a red light she turned toward him. "What?"

"Are those my clothes?" he asked.

Her hoodie was partly unzipped and the LAPD tee shirt was clearly visible.

"Used to be," she answered with a shrug.

Deeks tried not to grin. "I'm down with that."

 **Deeks' Apartment**

Deeks yawned and sat down in the middle of the couch. "I'm beat. I was up half the night guzzling water." He adjusted a throw pillow behind his head and closed his eyes.

"Other than that, are you good?" asked Kensi.

"I'm good. What about you?"

"Also good." She paused. "Okay, guess I'll go to work. That paperwork won't complete itself. I'll check with you later."

"Sounds good," said Deeks without opening his eyes. "And Kensi?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"No problem. That's what partners do, right?"

"Yeah, the ones worth keeping."

She was at the front door, but gave him one final assessment. "Why don't you go get in your bed? Your neck will be sore at that angle and then you'll whine even more."

Without opening his eyes Deeks quipped, "Are you going to join me?"

Kensi snorted. "Goodbye, Deeks."

 **The Mission**

"I left Deeks on his couch. He had pain meds so he's kinda worthless the rest of the day," said Kensi. She pointed at Sam. "Don't you dare make a snarky remark."

Sam raised his hands. "I was only going to say I totally sympathize with him and I'm glad he's okay."

"Arkady's housekeeper called earlier," said Callen. "He's back from Moscow or wherever he really was. How about we go shake him down?"

"Let's do it," said Sam. "I always enjoy a good shakedown."

"Have fun," said Kensi as she shuffled papers around. "I have to finish this stuff before Hetty slaps a demerit on me."

"Everybody gets to have some fun," said Sam with a laugh.

The guys left and Kensi sat there thinking about Deeks. _Should I call him? No, I'm sure he's fine. He'll probably fall asleep. I'll go back tonight._

Suddenly, she felt hungry. She remembered she had half a sandwich in the refrigerator. She got up to retrieve it and opened a bottle of water. She stood in the small kitchen eating and drinking. From this vantage point, she saw Hetty walk by in conversation with some unknown, petite woman. Kensi shrugged and tossed the sandwich wrapper in the trash.

Then she settled down to do the onerous paperwork. When she finished, she felt quite proud of herself. She was packing up to leave when Callen called.

"You wouldn't believe where we had to go to talk to Arkady."

"That Russian bakery on Hermosa?"

"I wish," said Callen. "That Russian bathhouse on the next street over where he hangs out with his cronies. Said he had to wash away the grime of international travel."

Kensi laughed. "Did he offer anything useful?"

Sam was talking now. "As usual, he talked a lot, but didn't say anything."

"Are you going to touch base with Deeks?" asked Callen.

"Headed out right now," said Kensi. She disconnected and slipped into her jacket as Hetty walked over.

"How is Mr. Deeks?"

"He had a rough night, but should be back tomorrow," said Kensi. "I'm going to check on him now."

"Very good. Give him my regards. I, too, have tangled with a kidney stone."

"Will do."

Kensi hurried out and Hetty returned to her desk. _Now for a little surprise._ She picked up her phone and called Ops. "Mr. Beale, could you spare a moment?"

"Uh, sure thing." He laid his tablet aside and sprinted down the stairs. He stood quietly in front of Hetty's desk as she perused a file.

 _What's this about? Did she find that bag of chips in my bottom drawer? I thought I had it hidden pretty well._

She looked up, smiled and waved a hand. "Do have a seat, Mr. Beale."

 _She's smiling. That's good. She wouldn't smile if I was in trouble, would she?_

He couldn't stand it any longer. "Is . . . is there a problem, Hetty?"

"No problem whatsoever. Your performance is outstanding, so you don't need to worry about that. However, as you know, our workload is increasing. As proficient and dedicated as you are, you can't be here twenty-four hours a day. To that end, we have a new team member joining us tomorrow."

"New team member?" Eric wasn't sure how he felt about that. Ops was his domain. Sure, he was busy. But he didn't have time to coddle some interloper.

"Have you told the others?"

"Not yet. You will be working the closest with this person, so I decided to inform you first." Hetty slid a piece of paper toward him. "This is her résumé."

Eric's eyes grew wide. "Her?"

"Nell Jones, Intelligence Analyst. She is eminently qualified and will be an asset to Mr. Callen's team. Look for her at 9 a.m."

"Wow. Okay. This is not what I was expecting," he stammered. He grasped the paper and stared at the head shot attached to it. An attractive, young woman with short, reddish-brown hair. He was intrigued in spite of himself. _But I can't let some pretty face distract me. We have important work to do here._

"What were you expecting? Perhaps a reprimand for this?" Hetty reached into her middle drawer and pulled out a bag of BBQ chips. "I suggest you wait until you leave the building before opening this."

Eric swallowed nervously. "Understood."

"Personally, I prefer the salt-and-vinegar ones."

 **Deeks' Apartment**

The TV was on and Deeks was lounging on his couch. He had begun the evening watching a surfing competition, but must have dozed off. Suddenly, his head snapped up. Now some grey-haired historian in a sweater vest was droning on about the six wives of Henry VIII. Deeks listened for a moment.

"Dude had five wives too many, in my opinion," he said to Monty. "No guy needs that many wives. I only need one good woman."

Monty gave a small whine. _Whatever, big guy. Is Kensi coming back anytime soon?_ Suddenly, the retired police dog's ears pricked up. He left his place beside the couch and went to the front door.

"What is it, Monty? You hear a boogeyman?"

Deeks' cell phone buzzed and he was startled. "Whoa." He reached for it, but it fell off the coffee table. When he finally got hold of it, he saw the picture he'd taken of Kensi sleeping on her couch. A smile spread on his face.

"Kensi, what's shaking?"

"Open the door."

"What?"

"Front door! I'm almost there and my hands are full."

"Full? Full of what?"

"Deeks!" she said in exasperation.

"Okay, sure." He nodded at Monty. "Ask and ye shall receive. One good woman coming up."

He grunted as he eased himself to his feet and shuffled to the door. Monty began jumping around. "Woof, woof!"

Kensi burst through the door and a wonderful aroma accompanied her. She was balancing a large pizza box, a bakery box, grocery bag, purse and flowered tote bag.

"Is that our favorite pizza?"

"You know it. And chocolate chip cookies and plenty of bottled water. I don't want a repeat of last night. I want you well-hydrated."

"Copy that. Let me help you."

They were almost through eating when Monty went to the back door. "Time for your last tinkle, eh buddy?" While Deeks and Monty were out, the doorbell rang.

 _Who could this be?_

"Hey, Deeks. You in there, man?" called a male voice.

To be on the safe side, Kensi retrieved her weapon from the end table. She held it slightly behind her back as she opened the door a crack. A tall, dark-haired guy in tee shirt and gym shorts stood there. He broke into a smile when he saw her.

"So, you're Kensi. Deeks may have mentioned you a time or two . . . or a hundred."

Kensi eyebrows lifted in surprise. "That would be me. And you are . . . ?"

"Rocco Santorini. Like the island." He stuck out his hand. Kensi jammed her weapon in the back of her waistband.

Rocco took a step back. "Whoa. The lady is lethal."

She shook his hand. "Like the island then. Come in," she said and opened the door further. "Deeks just took Monty out."

"He texted me about his visit to the E.R. I wanted to make sure he was okay, but I see he's in good, safe hands." He looked Kensi over from head to toe. "You're tall. You could take his place in our game."

"I'll give it some thought," said Kensi.

"Hey, don't be trying to poach my partner," called Deeks as he closed the kitchen door.

Rocco laughed. "I see you survived. Maybe you can make it next week."

"Count on it."

"There's some pizza left if you're hungry," said Kensi.

"No, thanks. I wouldn't want to be a third wheel here. Nice meeting you, Kensi."

"Likewise."

"I can let myself out," said Rocco. But Deeks followed him out to his SUV.

Rocco had a big grin on his face. "That's your new partner? Deeks, do not let her get away. She is hotness personified."

"And if she didn't like you saying that, you'd be face down right here in two seconds with your hands in cuffs," laughed Deeks. "I've seen it happen."

"Don't worry. I'm not here to steal your woman. Congratulations, man."

Deeks nodded. "I am a lucky guy. I didn't even have to go looking for her."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Rocco clapped Deeks on the back. "You better not step out of line with Kensi. She answered the door with her gun drawn."

Deeks couldn't help but grin. "That's my girl."

"Basketball next week?"

"I'll be there."

"Why don't you bring Kensi?"

Deeks shook his head. "So you Neanderthals can drool over her? Good try, but no."

Rocco laughed and climbed in his SUV and drove away.

When Deeks returned to his apartment, Kensi was flipping through the TV channels with the remote in one hand and eating a chocolate chip cookie with the other.

"Any left for me?"

She looked up. "I got a dozen and this is only my first one."

"Well, if that's only your first, I better claim my share now."

"A wise move."

They munched in companionable silence for a few minutes. Then Deeks stretched his arms over his head and yawned. "You're probably anxious to get back to your place by now."

Kensi gave him a look. "Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"Oh no, not at all. I just thought you'd be tired after the last 24 hours we've had. Not our usual kind of day. No shooting or take-downs or scrambling over backyard fences."

"True, but what if you have another attack tonight?"

They both knew only one stone was identified on the x-ray and it was long gone. "I could call Rocco or my landlady. Did you know she drove an ambulance in World War II? Of course, she's eighty-seven now."

She snorted. "I have to say, you know some interesting people. But I'm better prepared to take care of my partner than either of them now that I know how these things work."

"Kensi, if you want to stay, you're more than welcome."

Kensi regarded him with narrowed eyes. "I still think you're trying to push me out, so just for that, I'm staying."

Deeks nodded soberly, but his brain was screaming, _Yes! Another night with Kensi._ He pointed to the tote bag she'd brought with her. "What's in that flowery, girly bag over there?"

She shrugged. "Flowery, girly stuff."

"Makes sense. Do I get to see it?"

Kensi's phone rang at that moment. She looked at it. "Lauren. I've missed two calls from her already."

"Sure. I'm going to go change." He got up and shuffled toward the bedroom.

"Kensi, where have you been? Is everything okay?" asked Lauren.

"Long story."

"Does it involve Marty? Wait, are you with him now?"

Kensi sighed. "Yes on both counts." She proceeded to give Lauren a condensed version of the last twenty-four hours.

"Wow, I'm glad you were there to help him," said Lauren.

"Yeah, but it was a little scary at first," admitted Kensi. "I'm no good at being a nurse."

"You can tell us all about it tomorrow night. We're meeting at Big Daddy's Taco Palace."

"Sounds good. Okay, I gotta go," said Kensi. Deeks had come back in and flopped down on the couch. He wore a tee shirt and his pajama pants.

Kensi grabbed her tote bag. "Don't eat all those while I'm gone."

"They're safe. Already brushed my teeth," laughed Deeks. "Hey, if you need a toothbrush, there's an extra one in the medicine cabinet."

"Thanks, but I have mine."

"You little minx. You knew all along you were going to stay."

Kensi stood glaring at him. "Your point?"

"My point is, I like a woman who knows her own mind. It's sexy."

Kensi nodded. "I'll remember that." She turned and headed for the bathroom.

When she returned a few minutes later, she was wearing a tank top and loose pajama pants. "I like this light blue ensemble," said Deeks.

"It's not light blue."

He looked confused. "It's not?"

"No, it's cornflower blue. It's my favorite color."

"My bad." He pointed to her pajama pants. "Let me guess, those aren't any old blue flowers. They must be cornflowers."

Kensi clapped her hands. "Give the man a prize."

"I'm looking at my prize." He got up and stepped close, invading her personal space, and put his hands at her waist. "Cornflower is a good color," he said.

The small space between them crackled with energy and promise. _This is it. He's going to kiss me! I'm so ready for it_ , thought Kensi.

Then Deeks' cell buzzed. "Really?" he said in a disgusted tone. _Why are we always interrupted?_

"Don't answer it," said Kensi.

Voice mail kicked in and a woman began leaving a message. "Marty, this is Carla from the hospital. I'm following up to see how you're doing."

"Okay, answer it," said Kensi with a sigh.

Deeks snatched up the phone. "Hey Carla, I'm here."

Kensi took the opportunity to slip away to the bedroom. She got on "her" side of the bed and pulled the covers up. Monty trotted in a moment later and curled up in his bed.

"Yeah, everything's fine and Kensi came by to check on me. Wanted to be sure I was drinking enough water."

"Glad to hear that. If anything comes up, well, you know where to find us," laughed Carla.

"Hope that won't be necessary," said Deeks as he ended the call. Tonight, he made sure to take his phone to the bedroom. He noted with satisfaction that Kensi was already looking comfy and relaxed. It seemed entirely appropriate that she should be here. However, their moment was once again ruined. He raked a hand through his hair and sighed.

 _We need to go somewhere away from cell phones, Ops and Los Angeles._

Kensi may have looked relaxed, but she was still trying to calm her heart rate after another near miss. _Probably just as well. Would we be able to stop after one kiss?_

The mattress dipped as Deeks laid down. "You asleep, Kens?"

"Not yet."

He folded his hands behind his head. He had no idea how she would react to what he was about to suggest. He might get pummeled and kicked out of his own bed. "What would you think about us driving down to San Diego one weekend. We could check out the zoo and hang out at the beach. Maybe try some new cuisine."

Kensi raised up on one elbow to look at him. "You mean, visit your relatives at the world-famous zoo?" Then she snort-laughed.

"Hah. Good one."

"Would this be like, uh, a field trip, or whatever?" she asked.

"It could be just partners relaxing and unwinding after the stress of a dangerous job. Or it could be, well, anything you want it to be. Your choice."

"My choice? Nothing like putting it out there," she said.

"You don't have to decide tonight. You can mull it over and get back to me."

"Should I text you or send a carrier pigeon after I've mulled it over?"

Deeks laughed. "Again, your choice. Although the smog might kill a carrier pigeon."

Kensi flopped back down on her back. "Got it." She took a deep breath. "Goodnight, Deeks."

"Goodnight, Kensi."

Ten seconds later, Kensi sat up. The suspense was killing her. "Deeks."

"Yeah?"

"This is from a woman who knows her own mind." She leaned over and kissed him briefly.

"Now we got that out of our systems," she said as if that settled it once and for all.

 _For crying out loud, I work with him every day. What if this is a mistake? I would really hate that._

Deeks was stunned and could barely form a coherent thought. "Did . . . did we? I'm not so sure. From my perspective, this requires further exploration."

Kensi laughed softly. "Go to sleep."

"Copy that." Deeks grinned to himself. His last thought before sleep claimed him was: _No stone, no pain, Kensi beside me and my faithful canine in the corner. What more does a guy need? Well, a lot more exploration into our thing, of course!_

From his bed a few steps away, Monty thought: _At last! My humans have gone radio-silent._

Sometime during the night, Deeks awoke from a very pleasant dream about being at the beach with Kensi. He noticed she had migrated from "her" side to the middle of the bed. He was tempted to wrap his arms around her and pull her closer.

 _No. Not yet. She's warming up to our thing, but it needs a little more time._

He smiled and went back to sleep. Maybe he could catch the perfect wave in the second part of his dream.

 **The Next Morning**

It was 8:55 a.m. and Eric's watch alarm beeped. _Five minutes and she'll be here._ His palms were sweaty and he wiped them down the side of his cargo shorts. He hadn't slept well last night because he kept wondering about this Nell Jones. _What's she like? Will she fit in here? Will she try to take over Ops?_

Finally, he laid his tablet and headphones aside and began to creep down the stairs. He stopped halfway when he realized she was sitting in front of Hetty's desk, chatting and having a cup of tea. His first impulse was to retreat up to Ops, but Hetty looked up and saw him.

"Ah, Mr. Beale. Come join us."

She and Nell got up as Eric approached. "Nell Jones, this is Eric Beale, tech operator."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," said Nell and thrust out her hand.

"Nice . . . to meet you, too," stammered Eric. His brain rapidly catalogued pertinent facts: petite, cute, firm handshake, short hair, intelligent eyes, flowered dress and black blazer.

"I look forward to working with you," said Nell.

"Now if you two will excuse me, I have a conference call with Washington in two minutes," said Hetty.

"Right," said Eric. "Should we go up to Ops? I can show you our set-up."

"Lead on," said Nell.

 _Nice smile_ , thought Eric.

 **End of the Work Day**

Kensi was reaching for her purse when something hit her in the back of the head. She turned and saw Deeks preparing to lob another paper ball at her.

"What was that for?" she asked with a scowl.

"To hurry you up. I missed lunch today and I'm famished. Unless you consider that pack of cheese crackers in your glove box _lunch_ , which I don't, by the way."

"Hello, I was right there with you. I missed lunch, too."

"But I shared my crackers with you," said Deeks.

"My car, my crackers," said Kensi.

"Not really. I stashed them there last week for an emergency situation and today certainly qualified as that." They'd run all over town interviewing witnesses, pursuing leads and yes, climbing over one backyard fence to nab a teenage hacker.

Kensi was getting irritated. "Stop it."

"Come on. There's a new retro diner that opened a couple miles from here. It's called Galaxy 55. We could check it out."

"New retro. You realize that's an oxymoron," said Kensi.

"What I realize is that you'll feel much better after eating. You'll forget that you ripped a knee in your new jeans today."

Kensi looked down with dismay at her right knee. "Not likely." She could still see some dried blood there.

Deeks steered her toward the door and the rest of their conversation faded away. Hetty was doing some fact-checking in an old file cabinet in the corner. She had overheard the whole exchange between Kensi and Deeks. She closed and locked the file cabinet and returned to her desk.

 _Yes, this is going to be a good partnership. Mr. Deeks is just cheeky enough to keep Ms. Blye on her toes._ She took a sip of her jasmine tea and considered various possibilities.

 _Who knows where it may lead?_

 **THE END**


End file.
